High Density of Alcohol Retailers Linked to Bingeing, Harms

A study conducted in New Zealand has found that a resident's risk of binge drinking and alcohol-related harms increases with each alcohol-selling outlet located within convenient walking distance of home, the University of Otago reported Oct. 1.

University researchers surveyed 1,925 adults in 2007 on their alcohol use and then compared the results with mapping of all outlets where alcohol is sold, such as supermarkets and convenience stores. Jennie Connor, Ph.D., of the university's Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, reported that for every take-home (“off-license”) alcohol outlet within 1 kilometer, a person’s risk for binge drinking increased by about 4 percent.

Furthermore, other harms — such as alcohol's effects on job performance and relationships — were associated with density of all types of alcohol outlets (including restaurants and bars).

Health officials are taking heed of the study results at a time when New Zealand's alcohol policies are under review. “The challenge for Local Government is how to balance the overall wellbeing of the community with the perceived economic benefit from an increasing number of outlets,” said Marion Poore, Medical Officer of Health in Dunedin.

The researchers controlled for individuals' socioeconomic status and for indicators of community deprivation, leading them to conclude it is unlikely that another factor besides outlet density is responsible for the binge drinking and alcohol harm trends they saw. Researchers found no link between outlet density and moderate or risky drinking.

The study was published online Oct. 14 in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.