Dedicated to the enforcement of alcohol laws and regulations to protect public safety
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ'S)
What is “POLD” data and why is important to collect “POLD” data?
“POLD” data refers to identifying the place of last drink from subjects who have been identified by law enforcement or medical staff as having been involved in an alcohol related incident. The incidents can range from motor vehicle crashes to DUI/DWI stops to investigations involving assaults, and minors in possession. They may or may not be intoxicated at the time of the encounter. This information can be gathered in a number of settings and from a number of sources to include:
Sobriety checkpoints
Roadside safety checks
DWI/DUI arrests
Alcohol related traffic crash investigations
Post arrest for assaults, minor in possession, etc.
Emergency Department Data
Sentencing Documents
It is important to collect this data to protect public health and reduce both the economic toll of injury and the tragic loss of life attributable to the over-consumption of alcohol by both adults and youth. Nearly 88,000 people die from alcohol related causes each year (1) and excessive alcohol consumption costs the US approximately $250 billion dollars annually (2). Every day, 28 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This is one death every 51 minutes (3). The annual cost of these alcohol-related crashes totals more than $44 billion (4). Additionally, underage drinking and binge drinking can lead to serious consequences for the youth that engage in this behavior and the communities they live in to include, sexual assault, sexually transmitted infections, academic failure, drunk driving and even death. Studies show that up to 50% of people driving under the influence had their last drink at a licensed liquor establishment (5). In nearly every state the sale to obviously intoxicated individuals is illegal, but all too frequently, bars and restaurants continue to serve patrons long after they show obvious signs of intoxication. In fact, a recent study found that 82% of restaurants and bars visited sold to a pseudo-intoxicated customer who was displaying obvious signs of intoxication (6).
By tracking place of last drink communities can develop a clear understanding of the alcohol related problems facing their communities. The information can help determine if the failure exists within the home, within the community or within in the retail alcohol industry. By identifying the sources of place of last drink, patterns may emerge which can instruct and inform appropriate community responses to effectively address the root causes of the negative behavior. For example, the data may establish that there are problem locations within the community, problem events, or problem times of year that lead to the overconsumption of alcohol. This information can then be utilized by all sectors of the community to fashion culturally appropriate interventions to include educational efforts, media campaigns, treatment protocols, and where warranted increased enforcement to address the identified problem behavior. Such refined interventions can serve to help communities to effectively allocate limited resources and ultimately create safer roadways and healthier environments for all.
Stahre, M.; Robert J; Kanny D.; et al. Contribution of excessive alcohol consumption to deaths and years of potential life lost in the United States. Preventing Chronic Disease 11:E109, 2014. PMID: 24967831
2010 National and State Costs of Excessive Alcohol Consumption; Sacks, Jeffrey J., et al. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, volume 49, issue 5, e73 – e79
Department of Transportation (US) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Traffic Safety Facts 2014 data: alcohol-impaired driving. Washington, DC: NHTSA; 2015 [cited 2016 Feb 5]. Available at URL: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.gov/Pubs/812231.pdf
Blincone LJ, Miller TR, Zaloshnja E, Lawrence BA. The economic and societal impact of motor vehicle crashes, 2010. (Revised). Washington, DC: NHTSA; 2015. [Cited 2016 Feb 5]. Available at URL: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pubs/812013.pdf
O’Donnell, M.A. Research on drinking locations of alcohol-impaired drivers: Implications for prevention policies. Journal of Public Health Policy 6(4):510–525, 1985
Toomey, T. L., Lenk, K. M., Nederhoff, D. M., Nelson, T. F., Ecklund, A. M., Horvath, K. J. and Erickson, D. J. (2016), Can Obviously Intoxicated Patrons Still Easily Buy Alcohol at On-Premise Establishments? Alcohol Clin Exp Res, 40: 616–622. doi:10.1111/acer.12985
How can “POLD” data be used?
Agencies across the country that have utilized POLD data to multitude of ways including: developing media campaigns; engaging retailers in awareness and educational efforts focusing on identifying and intervening when patrons may be over-consuming alcoholic beverages; to increasing enforcement operations.
The following examples are intended to illustrate how POLD data can be used. It should be noted that this is not an exhaustive list of POLD data uses. How your community chooses to utilize the information should be based upon what works best for your community, keeping in mind that the goal of collecting “POLD” data is not to punish, but rather to inform decision making that leads to healthier and safer communities.
Example #1 – Collected “POLD” data reveals that establishments in the downtown bar area are being named as the place of last drink on a more frequent basis than bars in other areas of the community. As a community or law enforcement agency what can do to address this issue?
Provide “Responsible Beverage Training” to affected retailers and their employees to enhance their skills in identifying over-consumption issues to include effective methods to intervene.
Advocate for increased enforcement of existing laws, to include sobriety checkpoints and undercover investigations of persistent violators.
Advocate for imposition of appropriate administrative penalties for persistent violators.
Advocate for increased personnel and/or funds to address the inherent problems that arise from over-service of alcoholic beverages.
Advocate for appropriate alcohol policies such as mandated “Retail Beverage Service” Training and/or limits on the number of outlets in the downtown bar district.
Develop a broad-based media campaign that informs the community of the existing laws, penalties, economic costs, and dangers associated with the over-consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Advocate for meaningful sanctions to include, fines, revocation of driving privileges, community service, and treatment where appropriate for individuals found guilty of DWI/DUI or minor in possession of alcoholic beverages.
Provide law enforcement officers with specialized training on strategies to address alcohol related problems within the community.
Example #2 – Collected “POLD” data reveals that more incidents of drinking and driving occur on Friday and Saturday evenings between the hours of 10:00 pm and 2:00 am. As a community or law enforcement agency what can do to address this issue?
Provide “Responsible Beverage Training” to affected retailers and their employees to enhance their skills in identifying over-consumption issues to include effective methods to intervene.
Work with retailers to increase staff on Friday and Saturday nights with experienced employees.
Law enforcement can increase enforcement efforts to include sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols on identified Friday and Saturday nights.
Advocate for dedicated alcohol enforcement units that work during peak times to address potential “hotspots”
Develop a broad-based media campaign that informs the community of the existing laws, penalties, economic costs, and dangers associated with the over-consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Advocate for meaningful sanctions to include, fines, revocation of driving privileges, community service, and treatment where appropriate for individuals found guilty of DWI/DUI or minor in possession of alcoholic beverages.
Provide law enforcement officers with specialized training on strategies to address alcohol related problems within the community.
Example #3 – Collected “POLD” data reveals that underage youth are identifying that their place of last drink was at a house party. As a community or law enforcement agency what can you do to address this problematic behavior?
Educate parents and other adults about the negative consequences associated with underage drinking.
Advocate for legislation that holds adults criminally and civilly accountable for youth who are found possessing and consuming alcoholic beverages on private property owned or controlled by the adult.
Advocate for increased enforcement of existing laws regarding both possession and furnishing laws that are designed to keep alcoholic beverages out of the hands of underage youth.
Advocate for meaningful imposition of fines and other penalties, such as community service, treatment programs, and/or alcohol education programs for youth found to be in violation of existing laws.
Develop a broad-based media campaign that highlights the illegality, as well as, the dangers of allowing underage youth to consume alcoholic beverages.
Provide law enforcement officers with specialized training on strategies to address alcohol related problems within the community..
Can “POLD” data be used to initiate criminal or administrative action against identified establishments or providers?
Given the nature of “POLD” data (i.e. self-reported, post-incident) the data in and of itself will rarely be sufficient to initiate criminal or administrative proceedings against a named establishment. As is always the case each incident must be adjudicated based on its specific facts. The NLLEA strongly recommends that absent corroborating evidence “POLD” data should not be used as the basis for initiating criminal or administrative proceedings against the named establishments.
The purpose of “POLD” data is to identify trends and fashion culturally appropriate initiatives designed to assist the retail community in creating safer alcohol environments. The data should be used to educate the named establishment as to their responsibilities and liabilities under the law and to provide resources to assist them to improve their alcohol service practices. As a general rule it should not be used in a punitive fashion.
It is recommended that each agency participating in the “POLD” database establish specific departmental protocols for how the data will be utilized in their community. The protocols should address how many times the naming of a specific location will trigger an intervention and identify the nature of the intervention. In addition, the protocols should address potential deviations from the policy. Deviations from the policy may be based upon extenuating circumstances. Extenuating circumstances may arise as a result of a larger source investigation triggered by a traffic crash involving death or serious bodily injury. These protocols should be developed in close consultation with your legal advisor, the local prosecutor and administrative agencies that may be involved in adjudicating any cases involving the named establishment.
Is the information contained in the NLLEA “POLD” database available to the general public?
The database is an invitation only database designed for law enforcement use and for educational purposes and is not intended for public use. Access to the database is controlled by the NLLEA pursuant to written agreements with participating agencies.
The NLLEA reserves the right to release general non-identifiable information to various entities to promote and highlight the benefits of the “POLD” database. These entities may include, but are not limited to, law enforcement agencies, policy makers, educational research centers, funding sources, and media outlets. The NLLEA further reserves the right to utilize the information contained in the database for training and educational purposes. The training may consist of targeted training for identified communities and participating agencies. The training and educational materials may take many forms to include, but not limited to press releases, press conferences, television and radio interviews, fact sheets, research studies, webinars, tweets, and presentations at local, state, and national conferences.
It should be noted that the NLLEA will endeavor to keep all personal information contained within the database confidential, however may be required pursuant to The Freedom of Information Act 5 U.S.C. sect 552 to comply with legally enforceable requests for information contained in the database.
It should further be noted that the underlying arrest reports that serve as the basis for the information input into the database by participating agencies may be construed as public records. You should consult with your local legal counsel regarding any requests for release of such information and defer to your individual department policies regarding release of any information.
How accurate is the data in the database?
Every effort has been made to offer the most current, correct, and clearly expressed information possible. Nevertheless, inadvertent errors in information may occur. In particular but without limiting anything here, The NLLEA and its authorized agents and contractors disclaim any responsibility for typographical errors and accuracy of the information that may be contained on the “NLLEA-POLD” database.
The information contained in the database is submitted by numerous participating agencies and is therefore subject to human error and interpretation. The NLLEA strives to provide standard definitions and training to participating agencies regarding the capture of the data via standardized reporting forms in an effort to increase the reliability of the data input into the system. Having said this, the information in the system is subject to thoroughness of the various reporting agencies and the responses of the subjects interviewed. Note that an interviewed subject’s level of impairment may impact the reliability of their responses and thus impact the data POLD collected.
The supporting resources and information included on this website have been compiled by NLLEA staff from a variety of sources and are subject to change without notice to the User. NLLEA and its authorized agents and contractors make no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding the quality, content, completeness, suitability, adequacy, sequence, accuracy, or timeliness of such information and data.
