Sales to intoxicated persons (SIP) law enforcement
Evidence Ratings
Scientifically Supported: Strategies with this rating are most likely to make a difference. These strategies have been tested in many robust studies with consistently positive results.
Some Evidence: Strategies with this rating are likely to work, but further research is needed to confirm effects. These strategies have been tested more than once and results trend positive overall.
Expert Opinion: Strategies with this rating are recommended by credible, impartial experts but have limited research documenting effects; further research, often with stronger designs, is needed to confirm effects.
Insufficient Evidence: Strategies with this rating have limited research documenting effects. These strategies need further research, often with stronger designs, to confirm effects.
Mixed Evidence: Strategies with this rating have been tested more than once and results are inconsistent or trend negative; further research is needed to confirm effects.
Evidence of Ineffectiveness: Strategies with this rating are not good investments. These strategies have been tested in many robust studies with consistently negative and sometimes harmful results. Learn more about our methods
Strategies with this rating have limited research documenting effects. These strategies need further research, often with stronger designs, to confirm effects.
Evidence Ratings
Scientifically Supported: Strategies with this rating are most likely to make a difference. These strategies have been tested in many robust studies with consistently positive results.
Some Evidence: Strategies with this rating are likely to work, but further research is needed to confirm effects. These strategies have been tested more than once and results trend positive overall.
Expert Opinion: Strategies with this rating are recommended by credible, impartial experts but have limited research documenting effects; further research, often with stronger designs, is needed to confirm effects.
Insufficient Evidence: Strategies with this rating have limited research documenting effects. These strategies need further research, often with stronger designs, to confirm effects.
Mixed Evidence: Strategies with this rating have been tested more than once and results are inconsistent or trend negative; further research is needed to confirm effects.
Evidence of Ineffectiveness: Strategies with this rating are not good investments. These strategies have been tested in many robust studies with consistently negative and sometimes harmful results. Learn more about our methods
Strategies with this rating have limited research documenting effects. These strategies need further research, often with stronger designs, to confirm effects.
Community conditions, also known as the social determinants of health, shape the health of individuals and communities. Quality education, jobs that pay a living wage and a clean environment are among the conditions that impact our health. Modifying these social, economic and environmental conditions can influence how long and how well people live.
Learn more about community conditions by viewing our model of health.
Societal rules shape community conditions. These rules can be written and formalized through laws, policies, regulations and budgets, or unwritten and informal, appearing in worldviews, values and norms. People with power create and uphold societal rules. These rules have the potential to maintain or shift power, which affects whether community conditions improve or worsen.
Learn more about societal rules and power by viewing our model of health.
Enforcement of sales to intoxicated persons (SIP) laws, also known as overservice laws, reflect proactive community efforts to prohibit alcoholic beverage service to intoxicated customers in alcohol outlets such as bars, restaurants, and liquor stores. Such efforts are carried out by Alcohol Beverage Control personnel or plainclothes or uniformed police and may include walk-throughs, random inspections, last call enforcement, blood alcohol concentration testing, and media messaging1. Violations may result in fines, imprisonment, or revocation of a retailer’s license. Alcohol beverage outlets are often informed of enforcement plans, and managers and staff are provided with education and training to help prevent service to intoxicated customers2.
What could this strategy improve?
Expected Benefits
Our evidence rating is based on the likelihood of achieving these outcomes:
Reduced excessive drinking
Reduced alcohol-related harms
Potential Benefits
Our evidence rating is not based on these outcomes, but these benefits may also be possible:
Improved alcohol server practices
Reduced impaired driving
What does the research say about effectiveness?
There is insufficient evidence to determine whether initiatives to enforce sales to intoxicated persons (SIP) laws reduce excessive alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harms2. Available evidence suggests that such efforts can reduce service to intoxicated customers and reduce alcohol impaired driving, particularly when implemented in areas at high-risk for excessive use2, 3. However, additional evidence is needed to confirm effects.
Research suggests that visual observation in on-premise outlets may not support accurate identification of intoxicated individuals4. Use of valid and widely accepted criteria to define intoxication, implementation of unbiased enforcement procedures, adoption of clear and sufficiently severe penalties for violations, and efforts to increase alcohol outlet staff’s awareness of ongoing enforcement and consequences for violation appear to support successful enforcement efforts5.
A nationwide survey of local law enforcement agencies suggests that SIP laws are underutilized6.
How could this strategy impact health disparities? This strategy is rated no impact on disparities likely.
Implementation Examples
Footnotes
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1 Erickson 2015 - Erickson DJ, Rutledge PC, Lenk KM, et al. Patterns of alcohol policy enforcement activities among local law enforcement agencies: A latent class analysis. The International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research. 2015;4(2):103-111.
2 CG-Alcohol - The Guide to Community Preventive Services (The Community Guide). Excessive alcohol consumption.
3 Jones 2011a - Jones L, Hughes K, Atkinson AM, Bellis MA. Reducing harm in drinking environments: A systematic review of effective approaches. Health & Place. 2011;17(2):508-18.
4 Barry 2014 - Barry AE, Weiler RM, Dennis M. “Obvious intoxication” isn’t so obvious. Addictive Behaviors. 2014;39(6):1050-1051.
5 Graham 2014 - Graham K, Miller P, Chikritzhs T, et al. Reducing intoxication among bar patrons: Some lessons from prevention of drinking and driving. Addiction. 2014;109(5):693-698.
6 Lenk 2014 - Lenk KM, Toomey TL, Nelson TF, Jones-Webb R, Erickson DJ. State and local law enforcement agency efforts to prevent sales to obviously intoxicated patrons. Journal of Community Health. 2014;39(2):339-348.
7 NHTSA-SIP laws - Mosher J, Hauck A, Carmona M, et al. Legal research report: Laws prohibiting alcohol sales to intoxicated persons. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA); 2009.
8 CAMY-SIP laws - Mosher JF, Cohen EN, Dahl E. An update on laws prohibiting alcohol sales to intoxicated persons. Baltimore, MD: Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; 2011.
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