A COMMUNITY-WIDE RESPONSIBLE BEVERAGE SERVICE PROGRAM IN 3 COMMUNITIES - EARLY FINDINGS

Evidence accumulating over the past 10 years or so suggests that comme rcial servers of alcoholic beverages will intervene to reduce levels o f impairment among their patrons and will refuse service to intoxicate d customers. While some Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) programs ha ve had significant effects on server and patron behavior, others have not. This leads us to consider issues of implementation and program ef fectiveness. In the current paper, a community-wide RBS program is des cribed in some detail. The program was comprised by a larger comprehen sive community intervention project in three sites across California a nd South Carolina. Process evaluation data, to track program implement ation and proximal effects, provide early findings. Expressed support for RBS principles was high for both the public and the hospitality in dustry in all sites. A telephone survey of managers also suggests that prevention policies at bars and restaurants are beginning to show up, but a direct measure of server intervention with heavy drinkers does not yet demonstrate a program effect.