Citation

Lange JE, Voas RB. Addiction 2000; 95(4): 521-528.

Affiliation

Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Landover, MD 20785, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1046/j.1360-0443.2000.9545214.x

PMID

10829328

Abstract

AIMS: In Tijuana, Mexico, a loosely enforced age-18 law and inexpensive drinks have given rise to a nightclub district frequented by thousands of young Southern Californians each weekend night. Surveys were designed to characterize the extent of the cross-border binge-drinking traffic and to support and evaluate the community's response. DESIGN: Over 1 year, two anonymous and voluntary breath-test surveys were done. Drivers and pedestrians were pulled randomly from the stream of northbound border crossers and recruited to participate. SETTING: Surveys occurred between 12 a.m. and 4 a.m. on randomly selected Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Participants were recruited within the Port of Entry building. PARTICIPANTS: Of the 5849 border crossers recruited, 87.4% participated in the survey. MEASUREMENTS: Information was obtained through a standardized verbal interview. All participants were asked to take an alcohol breath test. FINDINGS: On weekend nights, more than 6500 people cross back into the United States between 12 a.m. and 4 a.m. after drinking or visiting a bar or restaurant. Pedestrians represent the highest concentration of drinkers, with more than 30% having BACs of 0.08 or greater. Most of these pedestrians return to parked vehicles on the US side and drive or ride home. CONCLUSIONS: The flow of young binge drinkers at the Tijuana border is substantial and translates into a significant public health problem for the region as crossers use their vehicles to drive home. There are many such binge-drinking locales. However, the border is unique in that it is amenable to scientific estimations of the problem with relatively high precision.

Language: en