The Research

STUDY: The Violence Prevention Potential of Reducing Alcohol Outlet Access in Baltimore, Maryland

  • Removing liquor stores in residential zones was associated with 22 fewer homicides, which would cost $27.5 million and lead to 391 DALYs. 

  • For preventing homicides, the strategy of removing liquor stores in residential zones was preferred because it was associated with substantial reductions in homicides without closing unacceptably high numbers of outlets. Read the full study here.

“Alcohol Everywhere”will hurt local liquor stores, local choices for consumers, and locally-made products.

  • Arkansas Wine Report: The introduction of wine in grocery stores has impacted every liquor store in Arkansas. Overall the average liquor store saw a total sales decrease of - 5.5%. See the full report here.

“Alcohol Everywhere” creates more public safety risks and more alcohol problems occur.

  • The relationship between alcohol outlets and traffic crashes; Medical Press, July 11, 2018

  • A new study by the Prevention Research Center of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation examines the relationship between the number and location of alcohol outlets (such as bars or liquor stores or other places where alcohol is sold) and traffic crashes. Much research supports the general principle that the easier it is to obtain alcohol, the more alcohol problems occur. 

  • Study author Robert Lipton commented: "The results of the study confirm once more that having a high density of alcohol outlets in a city has a serious cost in terms of the safety and well-being of residents. It is important for city planners, alcohol licensing authorities and concerned citizens to be aware that allowing a large number of alcohol outlets—especially bars—creates risks even for people who never enter them."

    There are currently MANY varieties of “3.2” beer (which is beer with an alcohol by volume of 4.0% or lower) available to consumers and retailers:

Brands are NOT dropping 3.2 beer.

Studies show “Alcohol Everywhere” is associated with higher violent crimes.

  • The report's authors say every 10 percent increase in alcohol outlet access is associated with a 4.2 percent increase in violent crime in the surrounding area. Access to liquor stores has a 37 percent greater association with violent crime than access to bars or restaurants. 

Our current system works - keeping choices for consumers, a safe product, and a competitive market for producers.

  • “The range of available products is a result of the decisions of the producers and importers. A wide range of products is available to consumers because of the three-tier system. 

  • It provides a "closed, distribution system," under which the federal government can prevent unlawful and illicit products from entering the channels of commerce and ensure collection of the taxes. 

  • These laws are pro-competitive because they support the approach that quality and price are what sells the product and not some other artificially created demand or pressure on retailers.”

The World Health Organization cautions against “Alcohol Everywhere” and urges prevention against easy access to alcohol by young people and other vulnerable and high-risk groups.

  • World Health Organization (WHO) today released SAFER, a new initiative and technical package outlining five high-impact strategies that can help governments to reduce the harmful use of alcohol and related health, social and economic consequences. 

  • Enacting and enforcing restrictions on commercial or public availability of alcohol through laws, policies, and programmes are important ways to reduce harmful use of alcohol. They are essential measures to prevent easy access to alcohol by young people and other vulnerable and high-risk groups.

More studies show “Alcohol Everywhere” could create more societal problems - violent assaults, motor vehicle crashes.

  • “We found that growth of new bars and pubs was greater in lower income areas adjacent to areas with larger populations and higher incomes; that is, near to neighborhoods that show greater demand for alcohol. Showing that growth in the numbers of these outlets over time is affected by neighborhood conditions related to alcohol demand, we provide evidence of the direct causal effects of demand for alcohol on the development of alcohol markets in urban areas.”

  • “Study author, Paul J. Gruenewald, says that these processes lead greater numbers of alcohol outlets and problems to concentrate in low-income neighborhoods of cities. These problems include violent assaults and alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes. The neighborhoods experiencing these risks are not those that drive the formation of alcohol markets.”

According to a 2015 bipartisan national poll commissioned by the Center for Alcohol Policy, the American Public overwhelmingly supports the current system of alcohol regulation in the U.S. and believes that alcohol regulation is important:

  • In a survey of adults in the United States:

    • 89 percent agree that it is very important to keep the American alcohol industry regulated.

    • 82 percent agree that parents, police officers, and retailers already have a difficult challenge keeping alcohol out of the hands of minors.

    • 70 percent believe that alcohol should not be sold just like other consumer goods.

    • 91 percent agree that it is easy to find a wide variety of beer, wine, and liquor in their community.

    • 84 percent agree that there are more local and craft beer and liquor available in their community today than ever before.

According to a study completed in Colorado, IF grocery and convenience stores were allowed to move from 3.2% beer to sell full strength beer and wine:

  • Traditional liquor stores will lose 50 percent of their beer sales in the first year alone, and 70 percent within 3-5 years, resulting in the loss of 4,830 jobs, and 8,600 jobs within 3 years.

  • Distribution practices will favor volume over smaller products, and will greatly impact Colorado-based microbreweries, wineries, and spirit distilleries. It will become more difficult for these products to find their way to market shelves.

  • Consumers will have fewer choices.

  • Corporate profits to out-of-state corporations will replace Colorado proprietor income.

A Kansas Health Institute study confirmed that expanding liquor licenses to grocery and convenience stores has the potential to increase underage drinking, traffic fatalities, etc.