The relationship between alcohol outlets and crime is not an artefact of retail geography

Did the association between alcohol outlet density and crime change during COVID shelter-in-place orders?

INTRODUCTION

We investigated whether greater concentrations of on- and off-sale alcohol outlets were associated with crime and whether this association was moderated by COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders (SIP) that restricted on-premises consumption of alcohol.

METHODS

Crimes (2019-2020) and addresses of licenced alcohol outlets in a medium-sized California city were geocoded within census block groups (N = 61). On- and off-sale alcohol outlet density was calculated as licenced outlets/2.59 km2 (1 square mile). Multilevel negative binomial regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between alcohol outlet density and crime, and possible moderating effects of SIP, controlling for block group demographic characteristics and density of other retail businesses.

RESULTS

On-sale outlet density was positively associated with total crimes and Part 2 crimes, while off-sale outlet density was inversely associated with total crime and Part 2 crimes. Overall, SIP was not significantly associated with crime, but moderated the associations of on-sale density with total crime and Part 1 crimes such that reductions in crime during SIP were observed in higher density areas. The association of off-sale outlets with crime was not moderated by SIP policies.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

On-sale outlet density, but not off-sale density, appears to be associated with increased crime. The results further indicate that restrictions in hours and service imposed by SIP policies reduced crime in high on-sale outlet density areas. These findings reinforce the importance of regulating alcohol outlet density and hours of service, especially for on-sale outlets, as a crime reduction strategy.

Alcohol licensing legislation and licensing system in South-West Nigeria: Implications to regulate physical availability of alcohol

INTRODUCTION

The proliferation of alcohol outlets has led to increased physical availability of alcohol, harmful alcohol consumption and related harm in Nigeria. This study explored alcohol licensing legislations and licensing systems across local government councils (LGC) in South-West, Nigeria.

METHODS

Twenty-four LGCs across three states participated in the study. Data were generated from: (i) documents containing LGC liquor licensing legislations; and (ii) semi-structured interviews conducted with 50 LGC officials (16 legislative council clerks and 34 finance officers [director of finance, rate officers and revenue collectors]) were thematically analysed using NVivo.

RESULTS

Nine of the sampled LGC enacted liquor licence bylaws. These mostly specified categories of liquor licences issued and licensing fees. None of the liquor licence bylaw contained regulations for controlling physical availability of alcohol and outlet density. Finance officials were licensing officers and there were no licensing committees across the LGCs. The LGC officials were unanimous in stating that generating revenue from licensing fees was the main objective for licensing alcohol outlets. The LGCs licensed alcohol outlets indiscriminately and failed to regulate outlet density.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The absence of regulations for controlling outlet density has implications for physical availability of alcohol in Nigeria. Our findings strongly suggest the need to develop national liquor licensing legislation with public health objectives and implementing regulations for controlling temporal and spatial availability of alcohol. Each LGC should inaugurate a licensing committee with clearly defined roles and responsibilities for licensing stakeholders such as LGC health officials, law enforcement agencies and community members.

Alcohol outlet density and marketing in Abeokuta, Nigeria

AIM

The physical availability of alcohol is a modifiable determinant of alcohol consumption and related harm. However, Nigeria currently does not have national regulations restricting the physical availability of alcohol. The study measured alcohol outlet density and marketing in Abeokuta, Nigeria.

METHODS

A descriptive community design was employed. Seven wards in Abeokuta South local government were surveyed street by street for functional alcohol outlets and nearby public institutions (schools and worship centres). Outlet characteristics were documented, and the location of outlets and public institutions was geocoded using a global positioning system app. The density and proximity of outlets and public institutions were analysed using QGIS 3.22.

RESULTS

Four hundred and seventy-six alcohol outlets and 194 public institutions (82 schools, 87 churches, and 25 mosques) were sampled across the 7 wards. The most common type of alcohol premises and outlets was on/off-premises and liquor/non-alcoholic drinks stores. Alcohol banners on liquor store lintels were the most prevalent marketing item. Alcohol outlet density ranged from 8.06 to 200 per km2. The smallest average distance between alcohol outlets was 28 m in Sodeke, while Ago Egun/Ijesa had the highest number of outlets and on/off premises. The shortest distance from an outlet to a school was 18.77 m in Ijaiye and 44 (14.7%) schools were located within ≤100 m of an outlet.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings indicate high alcohol density, resulting in short distances between alcohol outlets and public institutions in Abeokuta South local government area. These results underscore the importance of implementing evidence-based alcohol availability policies in Nigeria.

Improving alcohol health literacy and reducing alcohol consumption: recommendations for Germany

BACKGROUND

Although the detrimental health effects of alcohol are well established, consumption levels are high in many high-income countries such as Germany. Improving alcohol health literacy presents an integrated approach to alcohol prevention and an important complement to alcohol policy. Our aim was to identify and prioritize measures to enhance alcohol health literacy and hence to reduce alcohol consumption, using Germany as an example.

METHODS

A series of recommendations for improving alcohol health literacy were derived from a review of the literature and subsequently rated by five experts. Recommendations were rated according to their likely impact on enhancing (a) alcohol health literacy and (b) reducing alcohol consumption. Inter-rater agreement was assessed using a two-way intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC).

RESULTS

Eleven recommendations were established for three areas of action: (1) education and information, (2) health care system, and (3) alcohol control policy. Education and information measures were rated high to increase alcohol health literacy but low to their impact on alcohol consumption, while this pattern was reversed for alcohol control policies. The ratings showed good agreement (ICC: 0.85-0.88).

CONCLUSIONS

Improving alcohol health literacy and reducing alcohol consumption should be considered complementary and become part of a comprehensive alcohol strategy to curb the health, social, and economic burden of alcohol.

Micro-temporal analyses of crime related to alcohol outlets: A comparison of outcomes over weekday, weekend, daytime and nighttime hours

INTRODUCTION

Causal relationships between alcohol outlets and crime are inferred from their statistical associations across neighbourhoods. However, many unobserved covariates may confound these effects. Recognising that outlet sales vary by time of day and day of week, we assess whether areas with more bars/pubs, restaurants or off-premise outlets have more crime during days and times when alcohol sales are greatest.

METHODS

Annual administrative crime counts, sociodemographic data and other area characteristics of 336 Census block groups in Oakland, California, USA, were related to outlet densities from 2000 to 2015. Bayesian space-time Poisson models were used to measure associations between outlet densities and crime during: (i) weekday daytime; (ii) weekday nighttime; (iii) weekend daytime; and (iv) weekend nighttime periods (four seemingly unrelated equations). Comparisons of parameter estimates across equations provided an assessment of outlet effects on crime across days and times within the same analysis units using the same constellation of confounding covariates.

RESULTS

Assault and driving under the influence crime incidents during weekend evening hours were more frequent in Census block group areas with greater numbers of bar/pubs. Burglaries were consistently greater in areas with greater densities of restaurants.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

The spatiotemporal signature relating densities of bars/pubs over weekend evening hours to assault and driving under the influence incidents suggests that these outlets are a critical source of these crimes across neighbourhoods. Prevention programs and policies that focus upon specific drinking establishments, days and times may be most effective in reducing assault and impaired driving incidents in neighbourhoods.