Evaluation of a responsible beverage service and enforcement program: Effects on bar patron intoxication and potential impaired driving by young adults

Objective: Studies of alcohol-related harm (violence, injury, illness) suggest that the most significant risk factors are the amount of alcohol consumed and whether obviously intoxicated patrons continue to be served. This study's objective was to investigate the effects of a responsible beverage service (RBS)/enhanced alcohol enforcement intervention on bars, bar patrons, and impaired driving.

Method: Two communities—Monroe County, New York, and Cleveland, Ohio—participated in a demonstration program and evaluation. The intervention applied RBS training, targeted enforcement, and corrective actions by law enforcement to a random sample of 10 identified problem bars in each community compared to 10 matched nonintervention problem bars. Data were collected over 3 waves on bar serving practices, bar patron intoxication, drinking and driving, and other alcohol-related harm from intervention and control bars and treatment and comparison communities.

Results: In Monroe County, New York, of the 14 outcome measures analyzed, 7 measures showed statistically significant differences from pre- to postintervention. Six of those measures indicated changes in the desired or positive direction and 2 measures were in the undesired or negative direction. Of note in the positive direction, the percentage of intervention bar patrons who were intoxicated decreased from 44 to 27% and the average blood alcohol concentration of patrons decreased from 0.097 to 0.059 g/dL pre- to postintervention. In Cleveland, Ohio, 6 of the 14 measures showed statistically significant changes pre- to postintervention with 6 in the positive direction and 4 in the negative direction. Of note, the percentage of pseudo-intoxicated patrons denied service in intervention bars increased from 6 to 29%.

Conclusions: Of the 14 outcome measures that were analyzed in each community, most indicated positive changes associated with the intervention, but others showed negative associations. About half of the measures showed no significance, the sample sizes were too small, or the data were unavailable. Therefore, at best, the results of these demonstration programs were mixed. There were, however, some positive indications from the intervention. It appears that when bar managers and owners are aware of the program and its enforcement and when servers are properly trained in RBS, fewer patrons may become intoxicated and greater efforts may be made to deny service to obviously intoxicated patrons. Given that about half of arrested impaired drivers had their last drink at a licensed establishment, widespread implementation of this strategy has the potential to help reduce impaired driving.     

Procedural influences on scientific advisory work: the case of chemical hazard characterization

The quality of science for policy depends as much on the robustness of available scientific knowledge as it does on the procedural settings and working procedures in safety agencies. Using a report on Bisphenol A as a case study, and a set of original criteria, we provide an understanding of procedural influences on the results of scientific advisory committees and about literature reviews for chemical hazard characterization. Expert elicitation revealed that three aspects are critically important for the results of the advisory activity and for the selected case study: the method used to combine different studies, the interpretation of the review results in terms of level of evidence and conclusiveness, and the choice of uncertainty factors. Our results also show how procedural settings and working procedures can promote the invisible influence of values and policy on scientific advisory activities.     

Farmers’ risk preference and the adoption of risk management strategies in Northern Ghana

The study used the hypothetical lottery-choice questions to measure risk aversion and a detailed survey collected data on input use, farm production and non-farm activities to specifically assess whether risk aversion, risk perceptions, and socioeconomic factors affect the risk management strategies of farm households in Northern Ghana. Risk aversion significantly increases crop diversification strategies of households but marginally reduces herbicide use by households. Market risk significantly increases the use of improved seed varieties and the application of inorganic fertiliser but reduces diversification into livestock production. Production risk largely increases diversification into livestock production. Farmers’ risk management strategies are affected by socioeconomic variables such as access to extension services, area cultivated, age and gender. Policy effort focused on building pliable on-farm crop related risk management strategies should aim at considering the risk aversion and the perception of market risk whilst those focused on livestock should focus on production risk.     

Federal Decentralization and Adaptive Management of Water Resources: Reservoir Reallocation by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Reservoir operations must respond to changing conditions, such as climate, water demand, regulations, and sedimentation. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) can reallocate reservoir storage to respond to such changes. We assembled and analyzed a database of reservoir reallocations implemented and proposed by the Corps. While only a small portion of total reservoir storage nationwide has been reallocated, there are substantial differences in reallocation frequency and magnitude across the nation: some Corps Districts and Divisions use reallocation while others do not, relying more on discretion and small‐scale adaptation of operations. This difference illustrates how water resource agencies like the Corps decentralize management decisions to allow responding to disparate conditions. Decentralized decision‐making provides a responsive approach to water management, while centralized and hierarchical decision‐making is a slower, more deliberative approach. Decentralized decision‐making may lead to the accumulation of short‐term, local decisions over time to the point that the system is managed differently than anticipated. Reallocation, which is a form of planned adaptive management, can be accommodating of multiple competing demands and different stakeholders, yet expensive and less temporally responsive. The challenge for any large water resource management agency is to balance between local‐level, responsive discretion vs. centralized, planned decision‐making.     

Variations in Newspaper Coverage on Water in the U.S. Intermountain West

Water is a salient issue in the Intermountain West of the United States (U.S.), with concerns ranging from water scarcity and drought to intermittent flooding and water quality risks. This paper investigates coverage of water issues across seven newspapers in the core of the U.S. Intermountain West region. Newspapers have the potential to set agendas and influence perceived salience of issues among consumers. The Intermountain West region shares common concerns about water supply and demand, climate change, and water quality. We investigate whether or not local daily newspaper coverage of water issues provides a more local or regional sensitivity. Findings from this exploratory study reveal differences in water coverage across local daily newspapers. The overall volume of water‐related articles differed across newspapers as did proportion of articles on specific water topics and connecting issues. Coverage of local issues was more dominant than might be expected given mass media trends, but water geography in articles extended across the U.S. and the world in every newspaper studied. Variations in newspaper coverage of water issues suggests more local nuance persists despite the experience of common water issues across the region.     

Energy policies and environmental security: A multi-criteria analysis of energy policies of Pakistan

Access to affordable and efficient energy is a basic human right and an imperative for human development. The energy policies usually ponder technical, economic, environmental, and social aspects for successful procurement of energy and endowment of energy resources. The objectives of this paper are to analyze energy policies in Pakistan and assess their relationship with environmental security and development. An empirical and multi-criteria decision analysis was used to unfold the strong interactions of energy security with development and environment. The energy policies in Pakistan are more equipped with economic and technical aspects, fairly framed with social aspects and poorly pampered with environmental facets. The dearth of environmental aspects will not only results in environmental degradation but also lag the development and achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.     

市场导向的绿色技术创新机理与对策研究

基于对绿色技术创新的特殊属性、企业绿色技术创新环境和驱动力的转变分析,给出了市场导向对企业绿色技术创新的驱动机理。研究发现,企业绿色技术创新具有进度紧迫性、社会实用性、市场导向性及双重外部性等特殊属性,需借助市场机制来驱动企业绿色技术创新投入。市场导向下的企业绿色技术创新,就是要借助市场机制来优化企业绿色技术创新要素的配置效率。其中,市场供求机制有利于释放绿色技术创新要素的供需信号,市场竞争机制有利于提高绿色技术创新企业的市场竞争力;市场的价格机制有利于绿色技术创新企业的价值实现。最后,结合我国绿色技术创新发展实践提出6点建议:以解决突出矛盾为导向,精准设计市场规制措施;以优化顶层设计为起点,实现多主体协同发力;强化知识产权保护,制定绿色产业专利战略;多管齐下促进绿色消费,引导企业绿色技术创新;完善绿色标准和标识制度,倒逼绿色技术升级;建立绿色技术创新发展评估体系,有针对性地提高市场规制效率。     

城市居民垃圾分类行为影响路径研究——差异化意愿与行动

运用计划行为理论和A-B-C理论,结合强政策背景下上海垃圾分类的实际,完善居民生活垃圾分类行为测量量表,改进并区分居民垃圾分类目标意愿和执行意愿,构建城市居民垃圾分类行为影响路径理论模型.基于“2019年上海居民垃圾分类行为”调查数据,覆盖上海16个区县的2555有效样本,运用结构方程模型验证强政策背景下居民环境态度、主观规范和感知行为控制对垃圾分类行为影响路径.结果表明：环境态度、主观规范、感知行为控制分别对居民垃圾分类目标意愿和执行意愿有显著正向的影响.环境态度分别通过目标意愿和执行意愿对垃圾分类行为产生间接效应.主观规范和感知行为控制并没有通过两类意愿对垃圾分类行为产生间接效应.垃圾分类的政策效能感在目标意愿对垃圾分类行为效应中起到了调节作用.虽然环境态度、主观规范、感知行为控制可以促进公众垃圾分类行为目标意愿和执行意愿的形成,但仅有环境态度可以通过激发公众目标意愿和执行意愿进而形塑居民垃圾分类行为.     

高速铁路建设的环境影响分析及环保策略建议——以沪宁城际铁路为例

近年来高速铁路发展迅猛,与此同时高铁对沿线环境的影响及生态破坏已成为社会关注的热点问题,并引起国家及地方政府的高度重视.以沪宁城际高速铁路为研究案例,首先分析了高速铁路建设对沿线自然及生态环境影响的调查内容、方法和过程,然后论述了铁路噪声、振动电磁辐射、污水及固体废弃物对沿线环境的影响,并论述各类污染的生态防护措施.在此基础上,对沪宁城际铁路环保经验进行了总结归纳,最后提炼形成中国高速铁路建设发展的环保策略建议.     

构建海洋石油开采溢油危机防控体系之我见

随着海洋石油勘探开发的迅速发展,海上溢油事故屡有发生。针对我国现行管理体制设计上的弊端,提出了在构建海洋石油勘探开发溢油危机防控管理体系的实践中,必须着力健全完善溢油事故宏观防控、溢油问题科技保障、溢油风险预测评估、溢油危机应急处置4个方面工作机制的对策。