AP2026 will bring together advocates, researchers, and public health leaders from across the country this month to advance evidence-based alcohol policy solutions. We are excited to join our alcohol policy partners for a panel presentation: From Surveillance to Session: Building and Utilizing a Collaborative Retail Alcohol Data Infrastructure to Advance State Policy.

We’ll share about the RAD collaborative, multi-state effort to examine the alcohol retail environment. Last year, 30 coalitions and agencies across 15 states visited 2,368 off-premise licensed alcohol outlets to collect local data on the availability, pricing, and marketing of 7 ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages that are especially dangerous and/or appeal to young people. Analysis of this data reveealed that high-alcohol-by-volume ready-to-drink beverages are widely available and have cheap prices-per-standard-drink.

  • Maria Kovell, MPA, Executive Director for Counter Tools will share about the survey tool development, data collection, and descriptive findings.
  • Dr. Kayla Tillett, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor at James Madison University will share about the policy data methods and findings.
  • Rick Collins, Project Director for the Hawai‘i Alcohol Policy Alliance will share how this surveillance data informed legislative advocacy efforts in Hawai‘i.
  • Dr. Matt Rossheim, PhD, MPH, CPH, FAAHB, Associate Professor, Department of Health Administration and Health Policy at the University of North Texas Health Science Center will moderate the panel session.

If you were displaced from a federal or state public health position during the past two years, you can attend AP2026 at a discounted rate. The U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance is offering up to 20 reduced registration scholarships to help public health professionals stay connected to colleagues, career opportunities, and the alcohol policy and prevention field. Scholarship recipients will receive a 90% discount on the $850 registration fee. Apply here: https://forms.gle/mrHcrxgDGgzUZkjT8

Learn more about the RAD collaborative here: Findings from the Retail Alcohol Data (RAD) collaborative