by Frank A. Sloan, Emily M. Stout, Kathryn Whetten-Goldstein and Lan Liang
University of Chicago Press, 2000
Cloth: 978-0-226-76280-7 | Paper: 978-0-226-76281-4
Library of Congress Classification KF1293.5.D75 2000
Dewey Decimal Classification 345.730247

ABOUT THIS BOOK | TOC
ABOUT THIS BOOK
According to the United States Public Health Service, over 100,000 deaths a year are attributable to alcohol, including 20,000 highway fatalities. In response, legislatures have enacted various forms of regulation intended both to reduce alcohol consumption and to curb its harmful effects. This groundbreaking study focuses on one such form of regulation, the liability imposed on alcohol servers and social hosts by tort law. Basing their analysis on important new data from their extensive research and in-depth interviews with actors on all sides of the issue, the authors conclude that, despite their relative unpopularity, tort laws are very effective in reducing accidents—even more than criminal sanctions.

Extraordinary in scope and exacting in detail, Drinkers, Drivers, and Bartenders: Balancing Private Choices and Public Accountability links alcohol problems, deterrence, and serving practices in a way no other work has been able to do and is certain to become a crucial reference point for researchers and policymakers alike.