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Kelley Baker, T.; Johnson, M.B.; Voas, R.B.; and Lange, J.E. Journal of Safety Research, vol. 31, pgs. 61-69 (2000) Objectives: Tijuana's loosely enforced age-18 drinking limit and low-priced alcohol entices thousands of young Americans to drink. On two weekends in 1997 and 1998, the Mexican government held elections during which alcohol sales were prohibited from 12 AM Friday night through 10 AM Monday. This study reports the effects of the election closings.
Methods: To detect changes on two election nights, we analyzed the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) counts and random breath tests of U.S. residents returning from Tijuana.
Results: The total prohibition against liquor sales on election Saturday nights was associated with a 71.2% reduction in total pedestrian returnees and a 34.5% reduction on Friday nights with partial closing of bars. Further, results showed that the number of pedestrians with BACs at .08 or higher was reduced during election days.
Conclusions: The closing of Tijuana's alcohol establishments reduced the number of border crossers and the BACs of returnees.
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