title: Efficacy and the strength of evidence of U.S. alcohol control policies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Public policy can limit alcohol consumption and its associated harm, but no direct comparison of the relative efficacy of alcohol control policies exists for the U.S.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify alcohol control policies and develop quantitative ratings of their efficacy and strength of evidence.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2010, a Delphi panel of ten U.S. alcohol policy experts identified and rated the efficacy of alcohol control policies for reducing binge drinking and alcohol-impaired driving among both the general population and youth, and the strength of evidence informing the efficacy of each policy. The policies were nominated on the basis of scientific evidence and potential for public health impact. Analysis was conducted in 2010-2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Panelists identified and rated 47 policies. Policies limiting price received the highest ratings, with alcohol taxes receiving the highest ratings for all four outcomes. Highly rated policies for reducing binge drinking and alcohol-impaired driving in the general population also were rated highly among youth, although several policies were rated more highly for youth compared with the general population. Policy efficacy ratings for the general population and youth were positively correlated for reducing both binge drinking (r=0.50) and alcohol-impaired driving (r=0.45). The correlation between efficacy ratings for reducing binge drinking and alcohol-impaired driving was strong for the general population (r=0.88) and for youth (r=0.85). Efficacy ratings were positively correlated with strength-of-evidence ratings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Comparative policy ratings can help characterize the alcohol policy environment, inform policy discussions, and identify future research needs.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Electronic address: tfnelson@umn.edu.
authors.forename: Toben F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.affiliation: Division of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health.
authors.forename: Ziming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Babor
authors.affiliation: Alcohol Program, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Brewer
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Frank J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Chaloupka
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Center, Berkeley.
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Gruenewald
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Center, Berkeley.
authors.forename: Harold
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Holder
authors.affiliation: CDM Group, Bethesda.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klitzner
authors.affiliation: Alcohol Policy Consultations, Felton, California.
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Mosher
authors.affiliation: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Calverton, Maryland.
authors.forename: Rebecca L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Ramirez
authors.affiliation: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Calverton, Maryland.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Traci L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Toomey
authors.affiliation: Division of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Churchill
authors.affiliation: Division of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health; Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Timothy S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Naimi
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000191:economics*; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003625:Data Collection; D003697:Delphi Technique; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health; D011640:Public Policy; D013660:Taxes; D014481:United States