Papers by Alexander C Wagenaar
Journal of public health …, 2000
We surveyed the U.S. non-institutionalized population age 18+ on opinions regarding 23 alcohol co... more We surveyed the U.S. non-institutionalized population age 18+ on opinions regarding 23 alcohol control policies (N = 7,021). The cooperation rate among contacted households was 70% and the overall response rate was 54%. Results showed high levels of public support for most alcohol control policies. Over 80% support restrictions on alcohol use in public places, such as parks, beaches, concert venues, and on college campuses. Eighty-two percent support increased alcohol taxes, provided the funds are used for treatment or prevention programs. Over 60% support alcohol advertising and promotion restrictions, such as banning billboard advertising, banning promotion at sporting events, or banning liquor and beer advertising on television. Multivariate regression analyses indicated significant relationships between alcohol policy opinions and a variety of sociodemographic, political orientation, and behavioral measures. However, the absolute differences in alcohol policy support across groups is small. There is a strong base of support for alcohol control policies in the U.S., and such support is found among whites and ethnics of color, young and old, rich and poor, and conservatives, moderates, and liberals.
Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, 2004
Prevention science : the official journal of the Society for Prevention Research, 2015
Access to alcohol among individuals under 21 years of age continues to be a public health concern... more Access to alcohol among individuals under 21 years of age continues to be a public health concern with approximately 5000 youth deaths attributable to alcohol each year (US Department of Health and Human Services 2007). To date, there is no research on youth access to alcohol from commercial sources within rural communities with large populations of Native American families. We evaluated commercial access to alcohol by underage-appearing female confederates in 4 rural towns within the Cherokee Nation, a non-reservation tribal jurisdiction that includes a high proportion of Native Americans embedded within a predominately White population. Alcohol purchase attempts were conducted approximately every 4 weeks on 10 occasions for a total of 997 alcohol purchase attempts. In addition to purchase attempt outcome, we collected data on characteristics of the outlets and clerks. Alcohol was sold to confederates without use of age identification on 23 % of all purchase attempts. Across repeat...
American journal of preventive medicine, 2016
American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2015
Sexually transmitted infections are common causes of morbidity and mortality, including infertili... more Sexually transmitted infections are common causes of morbidity and mortality, including infertility and certain types of cancer. Alcohol tax increases may decrease sexually transmitted infection rates overall and differentially across population subgroups by decreasing alcohol consumption in general and prior to sex, thus decreasing sexual risk taking and sexually transmitted infection acquisition. This study investigated the effects of a Maryland increase in alcohol beverage sales tax on statewide gonorrhea and chlamydia rates overall and within age, gender, and race/ethnicity subpopulations. This study used an interrupted time series design, including multiple cross-state comparisons, to examine the effects of the 2011 alcohol tax increase in Maryland on chlamydia and gonorrhea cases reported to the U.S. National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System for January 2003 to December 2012 (N=120 repeated monthly observations, analyzed in 2015). Effects were assessed with Box-Jenkins autoregressive moving average models with structural parameters. After the alcohol-specific sales tax increase, gonorrhea rates decreased 24% (95% CI=11%, 37%), resulting in 1,600 fewer statewide gonorrhea cases annually. Cohen's d indicated a substantial effect of the tax increase on gonorrhea rates (range across control group models, -1.25 to -1.42). The study did not find evidence of an effect on chlamydia or differential effects across age, race/ethnicity, or gender subgroups. Results strengthen the evidence from prior studies of alcohol taxes influencing gonorrhea rates and extend health prevention effects from alcohol excise to sales taxes. Alcohol tax increases may be an efficient strategy for reducing sexually transmitted infections.
Health Education & Behavior, 1992
Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Oct 1, 1996
ABSTRACT Public health law has received considerable attention in recent years with much less att... more ABSTRACT Public health law has received considerable attention in recent years with much less attention to the empirical study of public health law. The National Program Office for Public Health Law Research was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation starting in 2009 to advance the field of public health law research. We define public health law research as the scientific study of the relation of law and legal practices to population health. We draw from a range of disciplines such as law, public health, epidemiology, economics, sociology, and psychology to frame our definition and methodological approaches. We develop a logic model of public health law research and a typology of approaches for studying the effects of law on public health. We delineate the differences between public health law scholarship and research as well as discuss the special considerations, including research on the content and prevalence of public health laws, processes of adopting and implementing laws, and the mechanisms through which law affects health outcomes. To advance the field of public health law research, it is important that certain challenges be addressed early on, including the need to assure methodological rigor from finding and coding laws through special considerations in analysis. Public health law research is a young field, but holds great promise for supporting evidence-based policy making that will improve population health.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Apr 1, 1993
Journal of Studies on Alcohol, May 1, 1996
OBJECTIVE: We assessed the extent to which various sources of alcoholic beverages are used by ear... more OBJECTIVE: We assessed the extent to which various sources of alcoholic beverages are used by early, middle and older teenagers, the extent to which teenagers perceive alcohol to be available from different sources and factors related to use of alternative sources.METHOD: Ninth graders (n = 2,269), twelfth graders (n = 2,377) and youth aged 18-20 (n = 1,738) were surveyed in 15 upper-midwestern communities using a nested cross-sectional design. Analyses were based on mixed-model regressions, with both the individual and community treated as random effects, taking into account the intraclass correlation for each dependent variable. Analyses focused on current (last 30 day) drinkers to avoid recall bias for drinking events in the distant past.RESULTS: A person aged 21 or over was the most common source of alcohol for current drinkers in all three age groups; 46% of 9th graders, 60% of 12th graders and 68% of those aged 18-20 obtained alcohol from a person age 21 or older for their last drinking occasion. A person under age 21 was the second most prevalent source for 9th and 12th graders (29% of each group obtained alcohol from someone under age 21 for their last drinking occasion). A commercial outlet was the second most prevalent source for those aged 18-20 (14% obtained alcohol directly from an outlet for their last drinking occasion).CONCLUSIONS: Perceived availability, binge drinking and several demographic characteristics were independently related to source of alcohol used, and age interacted with several factors in predicting source of alcohol. We conclude that increased attention to sources of alcohol used by youths would facilitate efforts to reduce underage drinking.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Apr 1, 1991
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Papers by Alexander C Wagenaar