Study: Easy for minors, intoxicated fans to buy alcohol at pro sporting events

(Aug. 19, 2008) — In a novel study looking at the propensity of illegal alcohol sales at sports stadiums, University of Minnesota researchers reported that nearly one in five people posing as underage drinkers, and three out of four seemingly intoxicated “fans,” were able to buy alcohol at professional sporting events. They also found that location mattered: Sales were more likely if the attempt took place in the stadium stands rather than at a concession booth.

“There has been surprisingly little published research addressing alcohol use, sales, or problems at professional sport stadiums in the U.S.,” said lead author Traci Toomey, Ph.D., associate professor in the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. “We saw that sporting events can be fertile ground for illegal alcohol sales, and the seats provide an especially high-risk environment at events that attract an average of 130 million people each year,” she added.

From September 2005 to November 2006, researchers conducted alcohol purchase attempts with pseudo-underage (persons age 21 or older who appear under 21) and pseudo-intoxicated (persons feigning intoxication) individuals to assess the likelihood of illegal sales of alcohol at stadiums that house professional hockey, basketball, baseball, and football teams. Purchase attempts were made at 16 sport stadiums in five states.

For pseudo-underage purchase attempts, the researchers hired two men and five women who were 21 years or older, but were judged by a panel to look between 18 and 20 years old. For pseudo-intoxicated attempts, the researchers hired two male and two female actors (all older than 30) based on their ability to appear intoxicated. Their authenticity was assessed by a panel of eight to ten people, some of whom had worked in the hospitality industry. The actors — who had played similar roles for two prior studies — attempted to purchase alcohol while showing signs of obvious intoxication. In their interactions with sales staff, they dropped their money, repeated questions, and slurred their words. They found that the overall sales rates to the pseudo-underage and pseudo-intoxicated buyers were 18 percent and 74 percent, respectively. For both groups, the odds of being able to buy alcohol from the stands were nearly three times as high as the odds of being able to purchase it from a concession booth.

“We know already that there’s a link between alcohol use and problem behaviors among fans, but there’s more that sports stadiums can do to prevent sales to people who are clearly drunk,” Toomey said. “If people are intoxicated, we don’t need them to consume more alcohol.”

Sales to “intoxicated” buyers were also more likely if the seller did not seem to notice the apparent intoxication, and servers in the stands were less likely to notice the intoxication level of the buyers than servers at the concession booths.

In the “underage” group, buyers were almost three times more likely to purchase alcohol if in the stands than at the concession booths. When in the stands, sales increased along with the distance of buyer from seller. Toomey called the results significant. “Combining thousands of fans with significant alcohol sales could be construed as a recipe for some serious problems, like increased instances of violence and drunk driving,” she said.

In the past few years, there have been several well publicized alcohol-related problems at professional sporting events in the U.S. involving drunken behavior of fans and subsequent problems, during or after stadium sporting events. Several of these incidents have resulted in lawsuits targeting the alcohol vendors for serving alcohol to fans who were obviously intoxicated, according to the authors.

“Given the results of this study, stadium management and local and state elected officials may want to consider banning or restricting alcohol sales in the stands at sporting events, as some stadiums have already done,” Toomey said. “However, if such a policy is not politically feasible in a particular stadium, vendors in the stands may need to receive additional training regarding responsible service of alcohol—training that could include how to check age identification and more clearly recognize signs of obvious intoxication.”

Toomey added, “In addition, law enforcement and community groups need to actively monitor and work with stadiums to promote responsible alcohol service at these events.”

Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research was funded by the Substance Abuse Prevention and Research Program (SAPRP) of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Substance Abuse Policy Research Program (www.saprp.org ) of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funds research into policies related to alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs.