Tijuana, with a drinking age of 18 and a cluster of 39 bars in a 4-block area catering to young drinkers with prices as low as 0.25 cents a drink, lures crowds of 6,000 to 9,000 people from San Diego across the border on weekend nights. Breath test surveys of those reentering San Diego after a night of drinking in Tijuana, indicate that approximately 30 percent have BACs over .08. It is perhaps the largest consistent concentration of binge drinking in any locale in North America. Three important factors seem to contribute to the magnitude of the problem: (1) Those going to Tijuana have positive expectations about both the social scene, and of the effects of alcohol, (2) they hold beliefs that there are few enforcement risks, and (3) they feel their control over options is limited to Tijuana, since many are under the U.S. legal drinking age, and the prices in the U.S. are a barrier to binge consumption levels. Problematic drinking receives further support from normative pressures within certain specific populations such as military personnel and university students, and by the effect of drinking groups. Recently, concern over the public health problem these impaired youth pose has lead to the creation of the Safe Border Project, a coordinated community effort set to begin July, 1998. It features (1) enhanced enforcement of drinking laws at the border, (2) a center to offer logistical support for detaining highly impaired crossers, and providing transportation home, and (3) a strong media advocacy program. Together these elements should reduce border binge drinking by (a) affecting the risk expectations through media highlighting of risks (i.e., 2 to 3 percent of those crossing back into the U.S. report being robbed or mugged), (b) changing visitor's beliefs about the risk of being arrested for public drunkenness or DUI on the U.S. side of the border, and (c) affecting the perception that Tijuana is a viable option for those seeking outlets for their drinking motivations. We propose to evaluate the effectiveness of the Safe Border Project. Breath-test surveys of those returning north will be the primary dependent variable. These will be related to crash and EMS data. A drinking plan survey of youthful San Diegans entering Tijuana to drink will permit the study of the role of small drinking groups and drinking expectancies on binge drinking. Monthly RDD telephone survey of San Diego County residents 18 to 30 will track the perceptions of cross border drinking by the community from which the target group is drawn. El Paso/Juarez, a border town with a similar border-binge drinking problem will, serve as a comparison site.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AA011913-03
Application #
6168686
Study Section
Community Prevention and Control Study Section (CPC)
Project Start
1998-09-07
Project End
2002-05-31
Budget Start
2000-06-01
Budget End
2001-05-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
$531,991
Indirect Cost
Name
Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Beltsville
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
20705
Voas, Robert B; Furr-Holden, Debra; Lauer, Elizabeth et al. (2006) Portal surveys of time-out drinking locations: a tool for studying binge drinking and AOD use. Eval Rev 30:44-65
Voas, Robert B; Romano, Eduardo; Kelley-Baker, Tara et al. (2006) A partial ban on sales to reduce high-risk drinking South of the border: seven years later. J Stud Alcohol 67:746-53
Lange, James E; Johnson, Mark B; Reed, Mark B (2006) Drivers within natural drinking groups: an exploration of role selection, motivation, and group influence on driver sobriety. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 32:261-74
Voas, Robert B; Tippetts, A Scott; Fell, James C (2003) Assessing the effectiveness of minimum legal drinking age and zero tolerance laws in the United States. Accid Anal Prev 35:579-87
Lange, James E (2002) Alcohol's effect on aggression identification: a two-channel theory. Psychol Addict Behav 16:47-55
Voas, Robert B; Tippetts, A Scott; Johnson, Mark B et al. (2002) Operation safe crossing: using science within a community intervention. Addiction 97:1205-14
Lange, James E; Voas, Robert B; Johnson, Mark B (2002) South of the border: a legal haven for underage drinking. Addiction 97:1195-203
Lange, James E; Clapp, John D; Turrisi, Rob et al. (2002) College binge drinking: what is it? Who does it? Alcohol Clin Exp Res 26:723-30
Voas, Robert B; Fisher, Deborah A; Tippetts, A Scott (2002) Children in fatal crashes: driver blood alcohol concentration and demographics of child passengers and their drivers. Addiction 97:1439-48
Voas, Robert B; Johnson, Mark; Lange, James (2002) Permission to cross the border: effective policy reduces high-risk drinking by Marines. J Stud Alcohol 63:645-8

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