Development and Field Test of a Responsible Alcohol Service Program. Volume 3, Final Results

McKnight, A. James · 1988 · ROSA P / United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This report evaluates the effectiveness of a "Program of Responsible Alcohol Service" designed to reduce injuries caused by intoxicated patrons and drivers. Motivated by data indicating that bars and restaurants are primary sources of high blood alcohol levels among drivers, the study aimed to assess whether server education could lead to more responsible alcohol service practices. Previous evaluations of such programs were limited in scope or inconclusive regarding actual intervention with intoxicated patrons. Consequently, this project sought to define program requirements, develop a modular training curriculum, and conduct a large-scale field test across diverse locations to determine if the training improved server knowledge, attitudes, and observed behaviors. The program consisted of seven modules covering awareness, prevention, intervention, policy formulation, and training administration, requiring three hours for servers and six hours for managers. The field test was conducted in eight sites across the United States, involving 100 licensed establishments in a Treatment group and 138 in a Comparison group. A total of 1,079 servers and managers participated. The evaluation methodology combined self-reported measures with direct observation. Participants completed pre- and post-program paper-and-pencil tests assessing knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported serving practices. Additionally, researchers conducted 1,580 visits to both Treatment and Comparison establishments. During these visits, staff members posed as patrons exhibiting signs of intoxication to record server responses, while also documenting interventions with genuinely intoxicated patrons. The results indicated significant improvements in knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported serving practices and policies across all sites for the Treatment group. However, observed behavioral changes were less uniform. While there was a significant overall increase in server intervention with patrons feigning intoxication in Treatment establishments compared to no change in Comparison establishments, this improvement was confined to only five of the eight sites. Intervention rates were influenced by establishment characteristics; servers in establishments catering to moderately affluent clientele and those with moderate business volumes intervened more frequently than those serving highly affluent, lower-class, or college clientele, or those with light or heavy business volumes. Notably, outright refusal of service occurred in only 6.9% of cases, suggesting an imbalance between incentives and disincentives for such actions. The study concludes that the Program of Responsible Alcohol Service is effective in improving server and manager knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported behaviors. However, its impact on actual intervention with intoxicated patrons varies significantly by locale, establishment type, and business volume. The findings suggest that while education can foster responsible service, external factors such as clientele and business pressure heavily influence whether servers intervene. The report implies that server education alone may be insufficient to guarantee consistent intervention, highlighting the need for broader strategies that address the economic and social incentives governing alcohol service.

Key finding

The server education program significantly improved knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported serving practices across all sites, but observed increases in intervention with intoxicated patrons were significant in only five of eight sites.

Methodology

field_study

Sample size: 1079

Provenance

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• dui enforcement

Information type

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• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation