Influence of alcohol availability on urban homicide over time

Compared to whites and other racial/ethnic groups, African Americans experience higher rates of overall violence, rape, and aggravated assault, and total assaults. Both, alcohol outlets and violent crime are disproportionately concentrated in poor racial/ethnic urban communities. Given that homicidal violence and alcohol use are leading causes of and contributors to death for youth and young adults and the substantial social and economic costs associated with homicidal and assaultive violence, there is a compelling argument to further explore the alcohol availability-violent crime relationship. The aim of this study is prospectively examine the association between assaultive and homicidal violence with the geographical alcohol availability in the city of Washington, DC. Investigation of the temporal and geographic association between reported cases of violence and increased levels of alcohol availability will be accomplished using a linear growth model framework to assess the association between the rates of homicidal and assaultive violence and changes in alcohol availability over time, while adjusting for autocorrelation and/or potential spill-over effects. It is anticipated that a prospective increase in the geographical availability of alcohol will be positively associated with assaultive violence. To date, cross–sectional studies of the alcohol availability-violent crime relationship have demonstrated a positive relationship. The preventability of alcohol-related problems is enhanced by understanding the role of alcohol availability on the geographical distribution of these problems. Public policies that systemically affect the how, when, and where alcohol is sold have the potential to reduce the severity and burden of alcohol-attributable morbidity and mortality.