Preventing Alcohol Trauma: A Community Trial
Principal Investigator: Harold D. Holder, Ph.D.

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A five year, community-based trial was undertaken to reduce high-risk drinking and alcohol related injuries in three matched intervention and comparison communities.

Five interventions were employed:

• Mobilize the community
• Encourage responsible beverage service
• Reduce underage drinking by limiting access to alcohol
• Increase local enforcement of drinking and driving laws
• Limit access to alcohol by zoning

Self-reported amounts of alcohol consumed-per-drinking occasion declined 6% and self-reported, "having too much to drink", declined 49%. Traffic data revealed that nighttime injury crashes declined by 10% and crashes in which the driver had been drinking declined by 6%.

Assault injuries observed in emergency departments declined by 43% in the intervention communities versus the comparison communities, and all hospitalized assault injuries decreased by 2%.

This trial shows that coordinated, comprehensive, community-based intervention can reduce high-risk alcohol consumption and alcohol-related injuries resulting from motor vehicle crashes and assaults.


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