EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF A COMMUNITY COALITIONS EFFORTS TO REDUCE ILLEGAL SALES OF ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO MINORS

Miners' access to alcohol and tobacco is a major public health concern because of the many deaths and disabilities associated with use and t he ease with which miners purchase these products. We evaluated the ef fects of a community-based substance abuse coalition's efforts to redu ce alcohol and tobacco products to miners. The intervention-implemente d entirely by coalition members-consisted of adults and miners issuing citations to clerks in supermarkets, convenience stores and liquor st ores, who were willing to sell alcohol and tobacco products to miners and issuing commendations to clerks who refused to sell. For those liq uor stores receiving the citizen's surveillance, there was a marked de crease in alcohol sales to miners, from 83% to 33%; and in those liquo r stores not experiencing the intervention, there was a smaller decrea se in alcohol sales, from 45% to 36%. This study's findings suggest th at citizen surveillance and feedback may be effective in reducing alco hol sales to miners when the intervention is fully implemented, but ma y be ineffective, at least in these doses, with tobacco sales.