The extent to which the availability of alcohol encourages alcohol consumption resulting in alcohol-related problems remains controversial. In order to address this issue we used 1990 data from 72 cities within Los Angeles County to estimate the relation between densities of four types of alcohol outlets (restaurants, bars, liquor stores, mini-markets) and rates of two types of alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes reported by police (injury, property damage). After logarithmic transformation of variables, crash rates were regressed on outlet densities and possible demographic confounders. The demographic covariates accounted for 25% of the variance in injury crashes; adding the combined outlet density to the model yielded a significant elasticity estimate (beta +/- SE) (beta = 0.55 +/- 0.13). Separate models for types of outlets yielded significant elasticities for restaurants (beta = 0.22 +/- 0.07), liquor stores (beta = 0.46 +/- 0.17) and mini-markets (beta = 0.34 +/- 0.13), but not for bars (beta = 0.08 +/- 0.07). Alcohol-related crashes resulting in property damage also showed positive associations with outlet densities, but these associations were smaller and reached statistical significance for restaurants (beta = 0.19 +/- 0.11) and bars (beta = 0.21 +/- 0.10). Direction of influence cannot be inferred from these cross-sectional findings, but they do indicate that increased alcohol availability is geographically associated with increased alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes and that this association is independent of measured confounders.

Alcohol outlet density and motor vehicle crashes in Los Angeles County cities.

Anthropological data, methods, and concepts have contributed significantly over many years to our understanding of the interactions between alcohol and the human animal. Ironically, such contributions appear to be recognized more widely among practitioners and professionals in health and policy fields than within the discipline of anthropology. In this paper, I briefly review the major impacts of anthropologists on the broad field of alcohol studies. I emphasize the striking changes that have taken place since the 1970s, and discuss current issues that are focusing multidisciplinary attention on such work. Brief discussion provides an historical context for both the multi­ disciplinary realm of alcohol studies and the roles of anthropology within it. The specifically anthropological issues within alcohol studies include types of populations studied, links made between alcohol and other factors in cultural context, and the range of research methods used. I note the practical im­ plications of all the foregoing and offer general conclusions, emphasizing the impact of anthropological perspectives.

Anthropology and Alcohol Studies: Current Issues

Aims Assess long-term trends of the correlation between alcohol sales data and survey data. Design Analyses of state alcohol consumption data from the US Alcohol Epidemiologic Data System based on sales, tax receipts or alcohol shipments. Cross-sectional, state annual estimates of alcohol-related measures for adults from the US Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System using telephone surveys. Setting United States. Participants State alcohol tax authorities, alcohol vendors, alcohol industry (sales data) and randomly selected adults aged >/= 18 years 1993-2006 (survey data). Measurements State-level per capita annual alcohol consumption estimates from sales data. Self-reported alcohol consumption, current drinking, heavy drinking, binge drinking and alcohol-impaired driving from surveys. Correlation coefficients were calculated using linear regression models. Findings State survey estimates of consumption accounted for a median of 22% to 32% of state sales data across years. Nevertheless, state consumption estimates from both sources were strongly correlated with annual r-values ranging from 0.55-0.71. State sales data had moderate-to-strong correlations with survey estimates of current drinking, heavy drinking and binge drinking (range of r-values across years: 0.57-0.65; 0.33-0.70 and 0.45-0.61, respectively), but a weaker correlation with alcohol-impaired driving (range of r-values: 0.24-0.56). There were no trends in the magnitude of correlation coefficients. Conclusions Although state surveys substantially underestimated alcohol consumption, the consistency of the strength of the association between sales consumption and survey data for most alcohol measures suggest both data sources continue to provide valuable information. These findings support and extend the distribution of consumption model and single distribution theory, suggesting that both sales and survey data are useful for monitoring population changes in alcohol use. Language: en

US state alcohol sales compared to survey data, 1993–2006

Alcohol Availability and Alcohol-Related Problems in 213 California Cities

We used data from 21 states that participated in the 1985 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to compare state-specific per capita self-reported alcohol consumption and the prevalence of three drinking behaviors with state-specific per capita sales The correlation coefficient for per capita sales and per capita self-reported consumption for the 21 states was 081 Per capita sales were also significantly correlated with the prevalence of self-reported heavier drinking, binge drinking, and drinking and driving; the corresponding correlation coefficients were 074, 059, and 051 These findings suggest that states with higher per capita sales of alcohol also have higher rates of self-reported consumption and drinking patterns suggestive of high-risk behavior

A comparison of alcohol sales data with survey data on self-reported alcohol use in 21 states.

The conceptual framework and empirical basis of the distribution model are examined, and it is concluded that a more satisfactory model is required.

M S Harman

Papers

The distribution of consumption model of prevention of alcohol problems. A critical assessment