title: Diffusion of Impaired Driving Laws Among US States.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined internal and external determinants of state's adoption of impaired driving laws.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data included 7 state-level, evidence-based public health laws collected from 1980 to 2010. We used event history analyses to identify predictors of first-time law adoption and subsequent adoption between state pairs. The independent variables were internal state factors, including the political environment, legislative professionalism, government capacity, state resources, legislative history, and policy-specific risk factors. The external factors were neighboring states' history of law adoption and changes in federal law.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a strong secular trend toward an increased number of laws over time. The proportion of younger drivers and the presence of a neighboring state with similar laws were the strongest predictors of first-time law adoption. The predictors of subsequent law adoption included neighbor state adoption and previous legislative action. Alcohol laws were negatively associated with first-time adoption of impaired driving laws, suggesting substitution effects among policy choices.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Organizations seeking to stimulate state policy changes may need to craft strategies that engage external actors, such as neighboring states, in addition to mobilizing within-state constituencies.
authors.affiliation: At the time of the study, James Macinko and Diana Silver were with the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, New York University, New York, NY.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Macinko
authors.affiliation: At the time of the study, James Macinko and Diana Silver were with the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, New York University, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Silver
mesh_terms: D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D011640:Public Policy; D013219:State Government; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders; D014481:United States