Responsible Retailing Program for Alcohol Retailers

Rrf Field Services, Llc, Waltham MA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Responsible Retailing Forum (RRF) has developed a new model to reduce sales of alcohol products to minors. Derived from recommendations contained in the Report on Best Practices for Responsible Retailing, prepared as a federal guidance document for the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention in 2002, the model employs a quality improvement approach to assist retailers improve age-verification. In test communities, the model has shown significant promise as a way of improving ID-checking and underage sales refusal. Phase I focus groups indicated that alcohol regulators, retailers, their associations and suppliers all support the RRF model for a community-based RR system providing licensees with RR resources and feedback on actual staff performance in checking IDs, and a cooperative, problem-solving approach to underage alcohol sales and use. The proposed study will employ a randomized cross-over design to examine the effects of the RRF model upon ID-checking behavior by alcohol beverage licensees. The project will: 7 Identify 2 pairs of demographically matched communities in each of 4 states: CA, MA, NM, WI 7 Identify and randomly select alcohol licensees in each community and recruit 15 on-premise licensees (that serve alcohol on-premises) and 15 off-premise licensees (that sell for off-premises consumption) 7 Conduct pretest and posttest surveys with licensees and public agency stakeholders on attitudes and perceptions on underage alcohol sales and use and stakeholder roles in their communities 7 Conduct 3 monthly Mystery Shop inspections by young, legal-age inspectors who attempt to purchase an alcohol beverage to establish baseline ID-checking performance 7 Randomly assign one community in each pair to receive the 6-month intervention immediately (Cohort 1) and the other to a delayed intervention 6 months later (Cohort 2). During the first intervention period, outlets in Cohort 1 will receive the retailer assistance intervention, including monthly Mystery Shop visits with feedback after each visit. Outlets in Cohort 2 will receive Mystery Shop visits during intervention period 1 to document ID-checking rates but will not receive feedback or any assistance 7 During the second intervention period, conduct the retailer assistance intervention with outlets in Cohort 2. Cohort 1 outlets will no longer receive any other assistance during this time but unreported Mystery Shop inspections will continue in order to investigate decay of effects. We expect ID-checking rates will increase significantly in Cohort 1 communities, relative to Cohort 2, during the first 6 months of the intervention. ID-checking rates in Cohort 2 will similarly increase once the RR intervention is implemented in those communities in months 7-12. We also expect ID-checking rates to gradually decay to baseline levels in Cohort 1 communities during months 7-12. This finding will help make the business case to retailers for a long-term commitment to the RRF model.