AWOLs in West Virginia: An Alcohol Policy Analysis

Alcohol is one of the most widely used drugs in the United States. The harmful use of alcohol has been and continues to be the source of many costs for individuals and society and a significant public health issue. The history of the societal relationship with alcohol in this country is a long one. Alcohol has been subject of the social movement of temperance and policy attempts to control the use of alcohol and its societal costs culminated in the passage of Prohibition, the 18th amendment, in 1920. While Prohibition was repealed in 1933, and is considered by most to have been a resounding failure, less drastic policy measures continue to address the harmful societal effects of alcohol use. Current policy measures to curb the hazards of alcohol include measures to limit access ("dry" jurisdictions, legal drinking age laws), to penalize overconsumption and attendant behaviors (public drunkenness laws, driving under the influence), to limit marketing (advertising bans), to provide education, and taxation of alcohol products. An emerging issue in the alcohol policy arena is the sale and use of Alcohol Without Liquid machines (AWOLs). These devices, first introduced in Asia and Europe are now being marketed in the United States. Statutes prohibiting these devices have been passed in a number of states and some local jurisdictions and are being considered in many more. In this paper I will look at the debate surrounding these devices as a case study in the context of a long history of alcohol policy in the US. I will also consider whether policy to restrict or ban these devices would be justified in West Virginia.Master of Public Healt