SIP 21-002: How Alcohol Sources and Direct to Consumer Sales Impact Alcohol Behavior and Outcomes in a Shifting Regulatory Environment
Project Title
SIP 21-002: How Alcohol Sources and Direct to Consumer Sales Impact Alcohol Behavior and Outcomes in a Shifting Regulatory Environment
Funding Dates
09/30/2021-09/29/2023
Description
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought changes in states’ policies regulating online alcohol sales. The changes vary across states, with some states increasing access to direct-to-consumer sales and others decreasing. In states with temporary or permanent increases in access to online alcohol sales (often through apps such as Drizly, DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, and Instacart), sales saw a measurable boom in popularity in 2020. This study will consider how the wider availability of online and delivery alcohol sales may have affected drinking behaviors among U.S.-individuals. Methods will include a survey of 7,500 adults ages 18 and up in states with different alcohol policy situations. Participants will report their sources of alcohol consumed, negative outcomes associated with alcohol use, and drinking behavior pre-pandemic, early pandemic, and currently. In addition to the survey, the research team will also look for patterns in how policies affect consumer interest, drinking behavior, addiction, and alcohol-related health concerns by comparing Google search trends with state alcohol policies. The findings of this study will be distributed to advocacy organizations and policymakers with the goal of helping create safer alcohol policies in state and local governments nationwide.
Research Areas
Principal Investigator
Jimikaye Courtney, PhD
Funding
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)