Jimikaye B Courtney, McKenna Roudebush, Rebecca S Williams, Melissa J Cox, Kurt M Ribisl
{"title":"Effects of Expanding Direct-to-Consumer Alcohol Home Delivery Policies: Evidence From 18 States of Increases in Alcohol Use and Consequences.","authors":"Jimikaye B Courtney, McKenna Roudebush, Rebecca S Williams, Melissa J Cox, Kurt M Ribisl","doi":"10.15288/jsad.24-00273","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>After the COVID-19 pandemic onset, several U.S. states passed legislation to begin or expand direct-to-consumer (DTC) alcohol home delivery. We examined changes in DTC use and associations between DTC use, drinking patterns, and negative consequences by different DTC policies.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective survey of 5,360 U.S. adults who consumed alcohol (ages 21-62 years), using an online Qualtrics survey panel. Participants were recruited from 18 states representing four DTC policy groupings pertaining to on- and off-premises outlets (no DTC, no change in existing DTC policy, new DTC policy, expanded DTC policy). DTC use and drinking patterns (average drinks/week, binge drinking days/month) were self-reported for four pandemic-related periods at pre- (2019-February 2020), early (March-May 2020), mid- (June 2020-March 2021), and late pandemic (April 2021-October 2023). Participants self-reported the total number of negative drinking consequences (out of 17) they experienced during the entire pandemic. Multivariate regressions examined time and policy group predicting DTC use, time and DTC use predicting drinking patterns, and DTC use and drinks/week predicting negative consequences.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compared to adults in states with no delivery, odds of DTC use were highest among adults in states that expanded DTC policies (odds ratio [OR] = 2.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.78, 2.50]). DTC use was associated with consuming approximately 4.43 (<i>p</i> < .001) more average drinks per week, more binge days per month (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.33, 95% CI [1.27, 1.39]), and more negative consequences (IRR = 1.28, 95% CI [1.17, 1.39]), controlling for current drinking.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings suggest that expanding DTC delivery policies increased alcohol accessibility, and DTC use was associated with increases in excessive alcohol use and consequences. Such data can inform future decisions about states' DTC alcohol policies.</p>","PeriodicalId":17159,"journal":{"name":"Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.24-00273","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: After the COVID-19 pandemic onset, several U.S. states passed legislation to begin or expand direct-to-consumer (DTC) alcohol home delivery. We examined changes in DTC use and associations between DTC use, drinking patterns, and negative consequences by different DTC policies.
Method: We conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective survey of 5,360 U.S. adults who consumed alcohol (ages 21-62 years), using an online Qualtrics survey panel. Participants were recruited from 18 states representing four DTC policy groupings pertaining to on- and off-premises outlets (no DTC, no change in existing DTC policy, new DTC policy, expanded DTC policy). DTC use and drinking patterns (average drinks/week, binge drinking days/month) were self-reported for four pandemic-related periods at pre- (2019-February 2020), early (March-May 2020), mid- (June 2020-March 2021), and late pandemic (April 2021-October 2023). Participants self-reported the total number of negative drinking consequences (out of 17) they experienced during the entire pandemic. Multivariate regressions examined time and policy group predicting DTC use, time and DTC use predicting drinking patterns, and DTC use and drinks/week predicting negative consequences.
Results: Compared to adults in states with no delivery, odds of DTC use were highest among adults in states that expanded DTC policies (odds ratio [OR] = 2.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.78, 2.50]). DTC use was associated with consuming approximately 4.43 (p < .001) more average drinks per week, more binge days per month (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.33, 95% CI [1.27, 1.39]), and more negative consequences (IRR = 1.28, 95% CI [1.17, 1.39]), controlling for current drinking.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that expanding DTC delivery policies increased alcohol accessibility, and DTC use was associated with increases in excessive alcohol use and consequences. Such data can inform future decisions about states' DTC alcohol policies.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs began in 1940 as the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol. It was founded by Howard W. Haggard, M.D., director of Yale University’s Laboratory of Applied Physiology. Dr. Haggard was a physiologist studying the effects of alcohol on the body, and he started the Journal as a way to publish the increasing amount of research on alcohol use, abuse, and treatment that emerged from Yale and other institutions in the years following the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. In addition to original research, the Journal also published abstracts summarizing other published documents dealing with alcohol. At Yale, Dr. Haggard built a large team of alcohol researchers within the Laboratory of Applied Physiology—including E.M. Jellinek, who became managing editor of the Journal in 1941. In 1943, to bring together the various alcohol research projects conducted by the Laboratory, Dr. Haggard formed the Section of Studies on Alcohol, which also became home to the Journal and its editorial staff. In 1950, the Section was renamed the Center of Alcohol Studies.