Alcohol outlet density and related harms in a college town: A spatiotemporal approach

A research gap identified by The Task Force on Community Preventive Services recognizes that most research in alcohol consumption behaviors in adults aged 18 and over shows the impact of an increase in alcohol outlet density, but little research explores the impact of a reduction in density on harms, especially with temporal changes. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), this study explores the spatial and temporal relationships between alcohol outlet density and alcohol related harms in a moderately sized college town in the Midwest in which a reduction in density occurred due to community development projects. GIS provides a means for mapping alcohol outlets and alcohol related crimes to explore spatial relationships using spatial distribution, proximity analysis, hot-spot analysis and geographically weighted regression. This college town nearly doubles in the fall with the return of the university students. There were 57 permitted alcohol outlets within the city limits leading to an alcohol outlet density of 6.14 per square mile. During 2008 – 2010, 960 people were arrested for alcohol related charges; 79% of the arrests occurred within a quarter-mile of a permitted alcohol outlet. Mapped data reveals a defined hot-spot of charge locations, yet the number of charges decreased from 2008 to 2010 as well as the standard distance of charge locations. This research provides further investigation of the before and after impacts of the closing of several nuisance bars in the town due to community development activity, and can inform community policy makers as they consider awarding new liquor licenses.