access to alcohol and (b) access to and costs of alternative reinforcers (Vuchinich & Tucker, 1988). Because constraints on access to alcohol in the United States are relatively minor for adults, the availability of alternative reinforcers is thought to be central to alcohol consumption (Vuchinich & Tucker, 1988). Consistent with this view, laboratory studies have shown that alcohol consumption increases when access to alternative reinforcers is constrained, and alcohol and drug use decreases when reinforcement for drug-free activities is readily available (Carroll, 1996; Correia, Simons, Carey, & Borsari, 1998).
