NCJ Number
236286
Journal
Drug and Alcohol Review Volume: 30 Issue: 5 Dated: September 2011 Pages: 496-504
Date Published
September 2011
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study examined the influence of sales of single-serve alcoholic beverages on violent crime in areas surrounding establishments that sell such beverages in San Bernardino, CA,
Abstract
The study hypothesizes that if alcohol from single-serve containers is being immediately consumed, rates of violence would tend to be higher around retailers with higher percentages of cooler space devoted to these products. The hypothesis was confirmed, since the study found that the average proportion of shelf space in establishments devoted to single-serve alcoholic beverages was positively related to violent crime in surrounding areas. A number of regulatory implications can be drawn from these findings. A reduction in the density of outlets that sell ready-to-drink, single- serve containers of alcoholic beverages can be expected to reduce violence in and around these outlets. In addition, banning or reducing the sales of single-serve, ready-to-consume containers of alcohol can have an additional impact on violence and harm reduction. One type of regulatory measure that could be justified on the basis of these findings would be the adoption of a Deemed Approved Ordinance, which would give the city more authority to set acceptable standards of practice for existing alcohol retailers. The study methodology involved a survey that determined the relative proportion of shelf space in each liquor outlet in the city devoted to single-serve, ready-to-consume containers for alcoholic beverages. Assuming that this is an approximate measure of the amount of sales derived from single-serve alcoholic beverage containers, this indicator is a measure of the impact of specific retail practice on violence around an outlet. 3 figures, 2 tables, and 31 references