Current Projects

General Page Media
Image of graphs on paper
The Effects of Changes in Local Alcohol Policies and Enforcement on Alcohol Use and Impaired Driving

Principal Investigator: Toben Nelson, ScD
Co-Investigators: Darin Erickson, PhD; Rhonda Jones-Webb, PhD; Traci Toomey, PhD
Funding Agency: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Goals: A five-year, longitudinal study to assess how changes in local alcohol policy and enforcement are associated with excessive alcohol use and alcohol-impaired driving. Results from this study may inform decisions among policy makers about effective strategies to prevent and reduce health and social harms that result from excessive drinking and impaired driving.


Implementation and Outcome Evaluation of a Community-Developed Enforcement Initiative to Reduce Overservice of Alcohol

Principal Investigator: Traci Toomey
Co-Investigators: Rich MacLehose, PhD; Rhonda Jones-Webb, PhD; Toben Nelson, ScD
Funding Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Goals: For this two-year study we have the following aims: (1) evaluate effects of Place of Last Drink (POLD) enforcement on traffic crashes and other alcohol-related problems, (2) assess implementation of the Minnesota POLD initiative and whether implementation quality varies across sites, and (3) disseminate study results widely to a national audience.


Evaluation of a Place of Last Drink Initiative to Reduce Overservice and
Alcohol-Related Crime

Principal Investigator: Traci Toomey
Co-Investigators: Rich MacLehose, PhD; Rhonda Jones-Webb, PhD; Toben Nelson, ScD
Funding Agency: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Goals: (1) Evaluate effects of POLD enforcement on alcohol-related crime. (2) Assess likelihood of overservice of alcohol at alcohol establishments in POLD vs. comparison communities; (3) Assess attitudes/perceptions and policies/practices pertaining to responsible service and overservice enforcement among managers and servers of alcohol establishments in POLD vs. comparison communities.