Are alcohol outlet densities strongly associated with alcohol‐related outcomes? A critical review of recent evidence

Abstract

The journal publishes both invited and unsolicited letters. LIQUOR LICENSING OR CONFOUNDING EVENTS? FURTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INTERPRETATIONS OF MENÉNDEZ ET AL. (2015) Menéndez et al. [1] examined the cumulative effect of a series of licensing restrictions that took place in New South Wales in 2008. The results are extremely encouraging, estimating a 31.27% reduction in actual bodily harm (ABH) and a 39.70% reduction in grievous bodily harm (GBH). However, questions remain about the extent to which these findings represent true intervention effects. Outcome selection and specification The title suggests that the authors examined the impact of licensing restrictions on 'alcohol-related' violence. However , the manuscript mentions only ABH and GBH. It is not clear whether these outcomes are 'alcohol-related' or how this is defined. Furthermore, it is unclear whether these events concern night-time assaults-as would be most appropriate-or all violent assault (a.m. and p.m.). If the latter, the estimated effect of licensing restrictions is a reduction of more than 30% of all violence, which raises the unanswered question: how can changes to night-time alcohol trading impact all violence to this degree? Declaration of interests None.

Do alcohol pricing and availability policies have differential effects on sub-populations? A commentary

“…A recent systematic review (Gmel, Holmes, & Studer, 2015) examined 160 studies published between 2009 and 2014. While the authors found evidence of an association between alcohol outlet density and harm, they found little evidence of the causal direction and concluded that alcohol outlet density typically had little effect on individual-level alcohol use.…”

Impacts of changes to trading hours of liquor licences on alcohol-related harm: a systematic review 2005–2015

“…But some recent reviews have raised concerns about the generalisability and policy relevance of this evidence. For example, Gmel et al 10 note that the specific relationships between particular outlet types and particular types of harm vary substantially between studies, meaning the implications of changes to alcohol availability may be highly context-specific. In Australia and internationally, the trend for the past 40 years has been towards increasing the number of outlets, and minimising or abolishing limits on hours of the day and the week in which they are allowed to sell alcohol.…”

An exploration of the lived experiences of people with alcohol-related harm in Scotland

“…In a recent systematic review, Gmel et al (2016) found evidence of an association between alcohol outlet density and harm but little evidence of causality, and concluded that alcohol outlet density had minimal effect on individual-level alcohol use. However, regarding accessibility, all our participants reported having supermarkets or corner shops, often several, close by, making it easy to buy alcohol, "too easy" as stated by one respondent.…”