NABCA Awards
Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division
Award Year
2020-2021
Iowa Outlet Density Research
Supplemental Award $50,000
Data Collection | Technology
Having a large number of alcohol outlets in a single area—known as alcohol outlet density (AOD)—can result in a variety of dangerous outcomes, from binge drinking to car crashes. That is why the Iowa State University’s Public Science Collaborative (PSC) partnered with the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division (ABD) to better understand the relationship between AOD and health and safety risk factors throughout the state. The research team partnered with local law enforcement in four Iowa communities, including Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and Marshalltown, to better understand alcohol outlet densities and their relationship to community safety and wellbeing.
AODs are an environmental risk factor known to contribute to underage and excess alcohol consumption, including binge drinking. Community problems arising from concentrated alcohol establishments place a substantial burden on local resources, including local law enforcement and human services agencies.
The analysis found a strong and significant relationship between AOD and community health and safety harms, such as alcohol-related car crashes and violent crimes. Furthermore, the study found that neighborhoods with a high number and density of off-premise alcohol establishments also have a high number of family-related calls for service.
The study developed several recommendations, including 1) encouraging additional data analysis of ABD’s data to assist them in making data-driven regulatory decisions, 2) increasing resources to support compliance monitoring of the licensee environment, and 3) fostering communication with and stronger connections to local community-based partners. Taken together, these recommendations could help Iowa communities address concerns associated by high alcohol
outlet density and assist the ABD in its regulatory and compliance efforts.
Trailer Wraps
Education Award $10,000
Regulatory | Enforcement
RAISING AWARENESS OF THE HARMS OF DRINKING AND DRIVING
According to the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), alcohol was involved in around 30% of the total number of traffic fatalities in 2021. That year, there were 923 alcohol-related deaths in Iowa—an increase from 836 in 2020, according to data from the state public health department. Iowa Department of Revenue, which now incorporates the former Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, partnered with the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB) with a goal of reducing the percentage of alcohol-related fatalities associated with drinking and driving and raising awareness of the harms of drinking and driving. The project included wrapping 13 semitrailers that deliver liquor for the state with messaging about the dangers of drinking and driving. The trailer messaging was selected because of its high visibility on Iowa roads. According to the Iowa DOT, the average daily traffic count on Iowa’s Interstate Highway System was 24,751 vehicles in rural areas and 46,123 in municipal areas in 2019. The highly visible messaging on the semitrailer wraps is expected to reach millions of drivers each month, spreading the messages encouraging safe and sober driving. The delivery trucks serve all 99 counties and 1,850 locations. Currently, the 13 trucks have traveled 862,145 miles across the state and made 58,037 stops.