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New Research on “Place of Last Drink” Published in Transportation Research Record

New Research on “Place of Last Drink” Published in Transportation Research Record

NLLEA Place of Last Drink Research Published

Over 13,500 deaths were attributed to alcohol-impaired driving in 2022. Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol is a serious public health problem, causing injury, death, and property damage on U.S. roadways. Overconsumption of alcohol is often a result of overservice at licensed alcohol establishments, but efforts to address overservice at bars and restaurants have had little to no success. Place of Last Drink (POLD) is a strategy by which law enforcement officers attempt to learn the last place a driver consumed alcohol. Once an establishment is identified as the place a driver was last served alcohol, law enforcement and alcohol regulatory agencies can intervene with the licensee to change practices. Research on POLD is limited, but some studies have found that implementation of POLD is often incomplete or inconsistent. Toomey and colleagues at the University of Minnesota developed a framework of implementation components that may be useful to informing agencies seeking to implement POLD to reduce DUIs related to overservice at licensed establishments. The state of Vermont began implementing POLD in 2018 and sought to better understand its implementation in the state. This paper uses a case study approach to examine POLD implementation in Vermont using the Minnesota study’s framework of implementation components, using key informant interviews, member checks with alcohol regulation personnel, and comparison of key findings from case studies developed by the Minnesota research. Vermont’s implementation was high. Factors that contribute to Vermont’s experience are presented.

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