Commercial host (dram shop) liability laws hold an alcohol retailer responsible when a third party is injured or harmed (e.g., a death resulting from an alcohol-related car crash) by a patron to whom the retailer illegally served or sold alcohol (because the patron was visibly intoxicated or underage).29 The following is a list of online resources that provide additional information on commercial host liability, including research and recommendations, statistics on excessive alcohol use, and information about Responsible Beverage Service programs and state laws prohibiting alcohol sales to underage and intoxicated persons.
Commercial Host Liability Policy
CDC’s Alcohol-Related Harms Prevention Status Reports
Community Preventive Services Task Force Systematic Review and Recommendation
Research article and analytic framework (PDF) (see Figure 1 on page 337)
Report to Congress on the Prevention and Reduction of Underage Drinking (prepared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources)
- Summary of commercial host liability laws (for service to underage people only) across states (PDF)
- State reports (includes status of Commercial Host Liability for service to underage people by state)
Legal Analysis of State Commercial Host (Dram Shop) Liability: Current Status and Trends (abstract only)
Strategizer 57: Reducing Alcohol-Related Harms Through Commercial Host Liability
Responsible Beverage Service Programs
Community Preventive Services Task Force Systematic Review and Recommendation
Alcohol Policy Information System
State Laws Prohibiting Alcohol Sales to Intoxicated Persons
National Highway Safety Traffic Administration Report on SIP Laws