Locations Of Alcohol Outlets Research Articles

Planning for safe neighbourhoods in Namibia: A comparative case study of two low-income neighbourhoods in the city of Windhoek

ABSTRACT The safety of neighbourhoods remains challenging in developing countries due to several dynamics. This article explores the role of urban planning for safer neighbourhoods in two low-income neighbourhoods in the city of Windhoek. The study focuses on several crime attractors and generators influencing housebreaking incidents in two neighbourhoods. Various physical characteristics influence opportunities for crime in Katutura and Otjomuise, such as the location of alcohol outlets within the residential areas and large and unmaintained public open spaces. A lack of development in Otjomuise also influenced incidents of crime. However, severe socio-economic conditions and social factors also contributed to opportunities for crime. The findings have implications on planning and development in Namibia in terms of policy development and planning guidelines and assessments.

Discrepancies in Local, State, and National Alcohol Outlet Listings: Implications for Research and Interventions

Background The availability of local, state, and national data on alcohol outlet density have important implications for policies and interventions aiming to reduce alcohol-related problems. High-quality data on locations of alcohol outlets is important to accurately inform community interventions and public health initiatives, but such data is often not maintained, readily available, or of sufficient quality. Objectives: This study aims to examine the discrepancies between alcohol outlet databases and how neighborhood characteristics (i.e. income, majority racial population, urbanicity) are associated with the discrepancies between databases. Methods: Data was collected from national (n = 1), local (n = 2), and state databases (n = 3). Negative binomial regression models were used to assess discrepancies in alcohol outlet count at the ZIP code level based on the data source. Results: The average density of alcohol outlets (per 1000 residents) ranged from 0.71 to 2.17 in Maryland, 1.65 to 5.17 in Wisconsin, and 1.09 to 1.22 in Oregon based on different sources of data. Findings suggest high income areas (>200% poverty level) have fewer discrepancies (IR = 0.775, p < 0.01), low income areas (below poverty level) have greater discrepancies (IR = 4.990, p < 0.01), and urban areas tend to have fewer discrepancies (IR = 0.378, p < 0.01) between datasets. Conclusion: Interventions and policies depend on valid and reliable data; researchers, policymakers, and local agencies need to collaborate to develop methods to maintain accurate and accessible data.

Using Zoning as a Public Health Tool to Reduce Oversaturation of Alcohol Outlets: an Examination of the Effects of the New "300 Foot Rule" on Packaged Goods Stores in a Mid-Atlantic City.

The oversaturation of alcohol outlets can have disastrous public health consequences. The goal of this study was to evaluate the potential impact of new zoning legislation, TransForm Baltimore on locations of alcohol outlets. More specifically, the study sought to determine the effect of the new zoning code on the potential redistribution of alcohol outlets and also provide empirical support for the need to actively monitor redistribution of outlets to avoid further inequitable oversaturation in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Data on off-premise alcohol outlets (e.g., packaged goods stores) were obtained from the Board of Liquor License Commissioners for Baltimore City. The alcohol outlets were geocoded and assigned to zoning parcels. Churches and schools were also geocoded. The alcohol outlets were also assigned to census tracts to calculate socioeconomic statuses. One hundred seventy-two of the 263 off-premise packaged goods stores (PGS) were in violation of the new zoning law. TransForm will reduce the land parcels available to alcohol outlets by 27.2%. Areas containing non-conforming PGS were more likely to have a higher percentage of Black residents, single parent-families, unemployment, household poverty, and vacancy compared to Baltimore City averages and areas without non-conforming PGS. Planning enforcement efforts need to accompany related laws to prevent/reduce overconcentration of PGS in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Alcohol Outlets, Neighborhood Retail Environments, and Pedestrian Injury Risk.

Alcohol outlet density has been associated with increased pedestrian injury risk. It is unclear whether this is because alcohol outlets are located in dense retail areas with heavy pedestrian traffic or whether alcohol outlets contribute a unique neighborhood risk. We aimed to compare the pedestrian injury rate around alcohol outlets to the rate around other, similar retail outlets that do not sell alcohol. A spatial analysis was conducted on census block groups in Baltimore City. Data included pedestrian injury emergency medical services (EMS) records from January 1, 2014 to April 15, 2015 (n=848); locations of alcohol outlets licensed for off-premise (n=726) and on-premise consumption (n=531); and corner (n=398) and convenience stores (n=192) that do not sell alcohol. Negative binomial regression was used to determine the relationship between retail outlet count and pedestrian injuries, controlling for key confounding variables. Spatial autocorrelation was also assessed and variable selection adjusted accordingly. Each additional off-premise alcohol outlet was associated with a 12.3% increase in the rate of neighborhood pedestrian injury when controlling for convenience and corner stores and other confounders (incidence rate ratio [IRR]=1.123, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.065, 1.184, p<0.001). The attributable risk was 4.9% (95% CI=0.3, 8.9) or 41 additional injuries. On-premise alcohol outlets were not significant predictors of neighborhood pedestrian injury rate in multivariable models (IRR=0.972, 95% CI=0.940, 1.004, p=0.194). Off-premise alcohol outlets are associated with pedestrian injury rate, even when controlling for other types of retail outlets. Findings reinforce the importance of alcohol outlets in understanding neighborhood pedestrian injury risk and may provide evidence for informing policy on liquor store licensing, zoning, and enforcement.

Neighbourhood alcohol environment and injury risk: a spatial analysis of pedestrian injury in Baltimore City

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of neighbourhood disorder around alcohol outlets to pedestrian injury risk.MethodsA spatial analysis was conducted on census block groups in Baltimore...

A spatio-temporal analysis of on-premises alcohol outlets and violent crime events in Buffalo, NY

This study examined the spatio-temporal relationship between on-premises alcohol outlet locations and crime events in Buffalo, New York. Specifically, this research examined whether crime became clustered around on-premises alcohol outlet locations after those locations were licensed. Data from licensed alcohol outlets and violent crime events that occurred between 2005 and 2011 were analyzed using global and local bivariate space-time k-function analyses. The global bivariate space-time K-function analyses indicated that there was dispersion between bars and crime over space and time. Personal crimes showed both dispersion and clustering. Local analyses revealed clustering between alcohol outlets and crimes at discrete space-time intervals. Spatio-temporal analysis of the association between bars and crime gives an indication of the direction of the relationship between them. If this dynamic is better understood, it could be better regulated.

Neighborhood characteristics associated with the availability of alcohol outlets in quebec, Canada.

Objectives. The objectives of this study were to examine the spatial accessibility to alcohol outlets in Quebec and to assess the association between neighborhood level characteristics and availability of alcohol outlets. Methods. The Tobit Model was used to assess the association between neighborhood level characteristics and the availability of alcohol outlets within 500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 metres, respectively. Results. Alcohol outlets were found to be most available in the two largest metropolitan areas of the province of Quebec (Montréal and Québec City). Within 1000 metres, alcohol outlets are more available in neighbourhoods with the following characteristics: highest concentration of men, least materially deprived highest concentration of persons aged 20 years or more, and location either in a metropolitan area or in a small town. Finally, the number of bars with video lottery terminals increases with the level of social and material deprivation. Conclusion. In Québec, there is no rule governing the location of alcohol outlets. Thus, there is an abundant literature indicating that the regulation of alcohol outlet density could be an effective means of controlling risk attributable to alcohol consumption.

Socio‐spatial patterning of off‐sale and on‐sale alcohol outlets in aTexas city

To examine the socio-spatial patterning of off-sale and on-sale alcohol outlets following a policy change that ended prohibition of off-sale outlets in Lubbock, Texas. The spatial patterning of alcohol outlets by licensing type was examined using the k-function difference (D statistic) to compare the relative degree of spatial aggregation of the two types of alcohol outlets and by the spatial scan statistic to identify statistically significant geographic clusters of outlets. The sociodemographic characteristics of the areas containing clusters of outlets were compared with the rest of the city. In addition, the socioeconomic characteristics of census block groups with and without existing on-sale outlets were compared, as were the socioeconomic characteristics of census block groups with and without the newly issued off-sale licenses. The existing on-sale premises in Lubbock and the newly established off-sale premises introduced as a result of the 2009 policy change displayed different spatial patterns, with the latter being more spatially dispersed. A large cluster of on-sale outlets identified in the north-east of the city was located in a socially and economically disadvantaged area of the city. The findings support the view that it is important to understand the local context of deprivation within a city when examining the location of alcohol outlets and add to the existing research by drawing attention to the importance of geographic scale in assessing such relationships.

Public participation in local alcohol regulation: Findings from a survey ofNewZealand communities

In many high-income countries, the responsibility for alcohol regulation is being devolved from central to local governments. Although seeking public input is typically required by law, there remains little empirical evidence on whether and how the public is involved. We investigated public participation in local liquor licensing and related regulation in New Zealand. In 2007, we randomly sampled 2337 residents from the national electoral roll in seven communities and invited them to complete a postal questionnaire assessing their level of general community engagement, whether they had taken action on alcohol issues, and barriers to participation they perceived or encountered. A total of 1372 individuals responded (59% response). Fifty-two percent were current members of community organisations, and 40% had ever taken action on a local issue. Respondents considered alcohol to be a major problem locally, but only 4% had been involved in action to address a problem, whereas 18% had considered taking action. In their communities, 12% and 24%, respectively, felt they could influence the number or location of alcohol outlets. There was little variation across communities. Despite high levels of general community engagement and alcohol being widely regarded as a local problem, few community members reported acting on alcohol issues, and their self-efficacy to effect change was low.

Urban–Rural Differentials: A Spatial Analysis of Alabama Students' Recent Alcohol Use and Marijuana Use

This study of Alabama public school students sought urban-rural differences in social and spatial mechanisms connecting structural factors to recent use of alcohol and marijuana. Its dataset comprised a state-sponsored 2002 need-assessment survey of Alabama students; Alabama education department data; U. S. Census data; and alcohol-outlet locations listed by Alabama's Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. It measured structural-disadvantage factors (population disadvantages, community instability, alcohol-outlet density), social-organization factors (protective role of community, protective role of school), and recent-use factors. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), it generated maps of school catchment areas (SCAs)-the units of analysis for the study-that outline spatial patterns (across areas deemed urban or rural) of students' recent use of alcohol and marijuana. In the final sample of 370 SCAs, significant urban-versus-rural differences were observed for certain structural factors and in how these factors were associated with substance use. These differences aside, spatial analysis weighing the SCAs' particular geographic characteristics suggested location's importance, showing that a school playing a strong protective role significantly reduced not just its own students' recent substance use, but that of students in neighboring SCAs as well. The findings show students' recent use of alcohol and marijuana are associated with characteristics of the environment. (Am J Addict 2013; 22:188-196).

Community organization moderates the effect of alcohol outlet density on violence

There is growing evidence from multiple disciplines that alcohol outlet density is associated with community levels of assault. Based on the theoretical and empirical literatures on social organization and crime, we tested the hypothesis that the association between alcohol outlet density and neighbourhood violence rates is moderated by social organization. Using geocoded police data on assaults, geocoded data on the location of alcohol outlets, and controlling for several structural factors thought to be associated with violence rates, we tested this hypothesis employing negative binomial regression with our sample of 298 block groups in Cincinnati. Our results revealed direct effects of alcohol outlet density and social organization on assault density, and these effects held for different outlet types (i.e., off-premise, bars, restaurants) and levels of harm (i.e., simple and aggravated assaults). More importantly, we found that the strength of the outlet-assault association was significantly weaker in more socially organized communities. Subsequent analyses by level of organization revealed no effects of alcohol outlet density on aggravated assaults in organized block groups, but significant effects in disorganized block groups. We found no association between social (dis)organization and outlet density. These results clarify the community-level relationship between alcohol outlets and violence and have important implications for municipal-level alcohol policies.

Alcohol beverage control, privatization and the geographic distribution of alcohol outlets

BackgroundWith Pennsylvania currently considering a move away from an Alcohol Beverage Control state to a privatized alcohol distribution system, this study uses a spatial analytical approach to examine potential impacts of privatization on the number and spatial distribution of alcohol outlets in the city of Philadelphia over a long time horizon.MethodsA suite of geospatial data were acquired for Philadelphia, including 1,964 alcohol outlet locations, 569,928 land parcels, and school, church, hospital, park and playground locations. These data were used as inputs for exploratory spatial analysis to estimate the expected number of outlets that would eventually operate in Philadelphia. Constraints included proximity restrictions (based on current ordinances regulating outlet distribution) of at least 200 feet between alcohol outlets and at least 300 feet between outlets and schools, churches, hospitals, parks and playgrounds.ResultsFindings suggest that current state policies on alcohol outlet distributions in Philadelphia are loosely enforced, with many areas exhibiting extremely high spatial densities of outlets that violate existing proximity restrictions. The spatial model indicates that an additional 1,115 outlets could open in Philadelphia if privatization was to occur and current proximity ordinances were maintained.ConclusionsThe study reveals that spatial analytical approaches can function as an excellent tool for contingency-based “what-if” analysis, providing an objective snapshot of potential policy outcomes prior to implementation. In this case, the likely outcome is a tremendous increase in alcohol outlets in Philadelphia, with concomitant negative health, crime and quality of life outcomes that accompany such an increase.

People, Places, and Adolescent Substance Use: Integrating Activity Space and Social Network Data for Analyzing Health Behavior

This research investigates the influence of place and social network characteristics on substance use among a sample of 215 urban, primarily African American, adolescents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We utilize survey data that capture the places that adolescents perceive to be risky and safe, as well as their home location. The survey also captures the egocentric social network characteristics that are associated with each type of place for each adolescent. Place-characterization data included indicators of a variety of physical features we theorize might enhance or mitigate the likelihood of substance use, such as the locations of alcohol outlets, recreation centers, and violent crime. We employ multivariate Tobit regression to investigate the relationships of place and social characteristics with substance use behavior. Substance use was greater for males and older adolescents but was associated with few physical features of adolescents’ homes or perceived safe places. Substance use was enhanced by several characteristics of adolescents’ perceived risky places, such as commercial activity in distressed neighborhoods. In addition, the presence of substance users at an adolescent's perceived risky place was associated with an increase in substance use. Substantial differences concerning gender and age were also observed. Girls and older adolescents tend to be more sensitive to social and place characteristics as compared to boys. This study highlights the importance of capturing activity space characteristics, perceptions of places, and social network data for investigating substance use, as well as for studies of other health and crime behaviors.

Drinking, Driving, and Crashing: A Traffic-Flow Model of Alcohol-Related Motor Vehicle Accidents

This study examined the influence of on-premise alcohol-outlet densities and of drinking-driver densities on rates of alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes. A traffic-flow model is developed to represent geographic relationships between residential locations of drinking drivers, alcohol outlets, and alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes. Cross-sectional and time-series cross-sectional spatial analyses were performed using data collected from 144 geographic units over 4 years. Data were obtained from archival and survey sources in six communities. Archival data were obtained within community areas and measured activities of either the resident population or persons visiting these communities. These data included local and highway traffic flow, locations of alcohol outlets, population density, network density of the local roadway system, and single-vehicle nighttime (SVN) crashes. Telephone-survey data obtained from residents of the communities were used to estimate the size of the resident drinking and driving population. Cross-sectional analyses showed that effects relating on-premise densities to alcohol-related crashes were moderated by highway trafficflow. Depending on levels of highway traffic flow, 10% greater densities were related to 0% to 150% greater rates of SVN crashes. Time-series cross-sectional analyses showed that changes in the population pool of drinking drivers and on-premise densities interacted to increase SVN crash rates. A simple traffic-flow model can assess the effects of on-premise alcohol-outlet densities and of drinking-driver densities as they vary across communities to produce alcohol-related crashes. Analyses based on these models can usefully guide policy decisions on the sitting of on-premise alcohol outlets.

Neighbourhood Provision of Food and Alcohol Retailing and Social Deprivation in Urban New Zealand

Recent research has considered whether a range of social and physical characteristics of residential neighbourhoods are important in explaining social and spatial inequalities in health. One strand of this research has investigated the role of neighbourhood access to retail provision of healthy and affordable food. In this national study we used Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to examine the association between food retail (supermarkets, convenience stores and fast food outlets) and licensed alcohol outlet locations, and an area measure of deprivation for urban neighbourhoods across New Zealand. We found that contrary to the international evidence, for all outlet types, access to a range of retail options tended to be better in more deprived neighbourhoods. The implications of this socio-spatial distribution of food and alcohol retailing in reducing health inequalities are discussed.

Spatial analysis of alcohol-related motor vehicle crash injuries in southeastern Michigan

Temporal, behavioral and social risk factors that affect injuries resulting from alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes have been characterized in previous research. Much less is known about spatial patterns and environmental associations of alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes. The aim of this study was to evaluate geographic patterns of alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes and to determine if locations of alcohol outlets are associated with those crashes. In addition, we sought to demonstrate the value of integrating spatial and traditional statistical techniques in the analysis of this preventable public health risk. The study design was a cross-sectional analysis of individual-level blood alcohol content, traffic report information, census block group data, and alcohol distribution outlets. Besag and Newell’s spatial analysis and traditional logistic regression both indicated that areas of low population density had more alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes than expected ( P < 0.05). There was no significant association between alcohol outlets and alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes using distance analyses, logistic regression, and Chi-square. Differences in environmental or behavioral factors characteristic of areas of low population density may be responsible for the higher proportion of alcohol-related crashes occurring in these areas.

Alcohol availability as a predictor of youth drinking and driving: a hierarchical analysis of survey and archival data.

Much attention has recently been directed toward developing preventive interventions to reduce drinking and driving through efforts to limit the numbers and locations of alcohol outlets at the community level. Although evaluations of these efforts have suggested linkages between alcohol outlets and problem outcomes, they have not addressed the linkage between outlets and drinking and driving among youth. The analysis reported here investigates the relationship between alcohol outlet densities and underage drinking and driving as self-reported on two telephone surveys conducted in California. These analyses were based on data obtained from two telephone surveys conducted by the Prevention Research Center and archival data collected by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and the US Census Bureau. The sample for the first survey consisted of 15- to 20-year-old adolescents and young adults contacted by telephone, using a random digit dialing of exchanges in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. A second set of survey data was similarly collected by a random sample of households throughout California, and the Bay Area subset was also used for this analysis. At the individual level, older respondents were more likely to report drinking and driving and riding with drinking drivers, whereas females and Asians were less so. At the aggregate or city-level, alcohol outlet density, as measured by the number of on- and off-premises establishments licensed to sell alcohol, was associated with both drinking and driving and riding with drinking drivers. These effects were moderated by a number of individual level effects, with younger respondents and females more likely to be affected by outlet densities. The findings here provide support for the implementation of policies targeting alcohol outlet density reductions. Areas with large numbers of such outlets provide ample opportunities to youth for alcohol purchases.

Alcohol, injury, and legal controls: some complex interactions.

Despite considerable declines in the early 1980’s, drunk driving remains a major public health problem in the US. In 1986, 46,050 people were killed on the nation's highways. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death in the age group 1-34 years. Alcohol is unquestionably a major contributor to these crashes. In 1986, 23,987 traffic deaths, 52 percent of the total, involved a driver or pedestrian who had been drinking, and 16,728, 36 percent of the total, involved someone with a blood alcohol level above 10 percent. Many of the victims of drunk driving crashes were not drinking at the time of the event; more than one third of alcohol related vehicular deaths were persons other than drinking drivers: passengers, other drivers or pedestrians.Legislation may influence drinking and driving behavior, and the consequences thereof, in a variety of ways: limiting access to alcohol; restricting access to vehicles; making vehicles and roadways safer; separating drinking and driving. Taxation, dram shop laws, minimum drinking ages, server liability, land use laws pertaining to the location of alcohol outlets, and prohibitions on advertising alcoholic beverages affect the driver's access to alcohol.