The Impact of Single-Container Malt Liquor Sales Restrictions on Urban Crime

The impacts of policies controlling the spatial availability of take-away alcohol on consumption and harms: A systematic narrative review

AIM

To systematically review the evidence on the impacts of policies regulating the spatial availability of off-premises alcohol on consumption and harms.

METHODS

Narrative review that examined peer-reviewed studies published from 2016 to 2024 on policy changes affecting the spatial availability of off-premises alcohol. Outcomes of interest were alcohol consumption, alcohol-related harms and mortality.

RESULTS

The review identified 20 observational studies, primarily natural experiments, examining four policy types: malt liquor restrictions, sales expansion to retail outlets, privatization and changes to allowable alcohol content. Across studies, there was a suggestion that allowing alcohol sales in gas station convenience stores was associated with increased consumption and harms, whereas expanding to grocery stores was not. There was no clear evidence that restricting malt liquor reduces crime. Similarly, privatization was not associated with crime or health outcomes, though it was accompanied by price increases. Increases in allowable alcohol content were not associated with higher consumption, but decreases were associated with fewer alcohol-related emergency visits and hospitalizations.

CONCLUSIONS

The impact of policy changes in spatial alcohol availability depends on the policy details and retail outlet types. To mitigate public health impacts, policymakers should consider comprehensive alcohol control measures, such as regulating convenience store sales and accompanying grocery store expansions with minimum unit pricing, taxation and marketing restrictions. High-quality natural experiments with pre-post designs, control groups and confounder adjustments are needed to better understand how these policies impact both the general population and high-risk subgroups.

The Corner Liquor Store: Rethinking Toxicity in the Black Metropolis

Liquor stores have been repeatedly shown to be disproportionately prevalent in Black neighborhoods and therefore constitute a disproportionate health risk. This paper examines the ways in which liquor stores jeopardize Black lives through social and material conditions that are broader than health risk. Embodying and perpetuating dysfunctional markets, liquor stores relegate Black consumers to an overabundance of inexpensive and potent alcoholic beverages sold from heavily securitized storefronts and provoke conflicted and oppositional relationships. Liquor stores exist in a state of antibiosis with Black communities, an antagonistic relationship in which liquor stores gain but communities are adversely affected.

The Effectiveness of Alcohol Impact Areas in Reducing Crime in Washington Neighborhoods

BACKGROUND

We evaluated the effectiveness of Alcohol Impact Areas (AIA) in reducing crime around off-premise alcohol outlets in 3 AIAs in Spokane and Tacoma, Washington, using an interrupted time series design with comparison groups. AIAs only exist in Washington and include designated areas in a city where specific brands of malt liquor are restricted. We hypothesized that mandatory restrictions on malt liquor sales in AIAs would be significantly associated with decreases in crime, especially less-serious crime.

METHODS

In Spokane and Tacoma, targets were 3 AIAs and 3 comparison areas with demographically similar neighborhoods without malt liquor restrictions in the same respective city. Nine different crime outcomes were evaluated: Part I selected crimes, Part II selected crimes (further split into nuisance crimes and other Part II crimes), assaults, vandalism, narcotics, disorderly conduct, and all selected crimes combined. Crime was typically compared 3 years prior to and 3 years following policy adoption using time series and negative-binomial modeling. Separate models were run for each area and each crime.

RESULTS

Study hypotheses were partially supported. Malt liquor restrictions in AIAs were associated with significant decreases in crime, particularly certain Part II crimes and assaults (simple and aggravated) in 12 of the 23 models. The strength of the observed associations varied by AIA. Average monthly crime counts across all crime categories decreased more in the Tacoma AIA than in Spokane AIAs, and average monthly crime decreased more in Spokane AIA 2 (East Central) than in AIA 1 (Downtown Core). Malt liquor restrictions were significantly associated with increases in disorderly conduct in the Tacoma AIA; the increase, however, was small.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that malt liquor policies such as AIAs may be one of a number of tools local officials can use to reduce alcohol-related crime in cities, especially less-serious crime.

Supersized Alcopop Consumption Associated With Homelessness and Gang Membership

BACKGROUND

Supersized alcopops are single-serving, ready-to-drink beverages with very high alcohol content. Research suggests that consumption of these products is especially dangerous. The current study was one of the first to examine individual-level characteristics associated with recent consumption of supersized alcopops.

METHODS

Adults on probation (n = 253; 70% male) in Baltimore City, MD, and Dallas, TX, who reported heavy drinking or any illicit drug use completed interviews. Psychosocial scales were drawn from the Criminal Justice Client Evaluation of Self and Treatment Intake. Bivariate analyses were conducted to examine characteristics associated with past 30-day consumption of supersized alcopops.

RESULTS

Past 30-day consumption of supersized alcopops was significantly associated with higher scores for hostility and risk-taking, and lower scores on the self-esteem scale compared to nonconsumers. Recent consumption of supersized alcopops was also significantly associated with past 30-day homelessness and current gang affiliation. Among those who did not experience homelessness, 11% consumed supersized alcopops, compared to 30% of those who experienced homelessness. Further, 11% of those who were not gang-affiliated reported consuming a supersized alcopop within the past 30 days, compared to 57% of those who were gang-affiliated.

DISCUSSION

This study identifies disparate consumption of dangerous supersized alcopop products by vulnerable and at-risk groups. Better regulation of supersized alcopop marketing is needed to reduce alcohol consumption among high-risk groups, including people who are homeless and gang members, and display greater hostility and risk-taking traits. Previous research suggests that reducing the alcohol by volume and increasing the retail price of supersized alcopops would reduce some of the harms associated with consumption.

Effects of Restricting High Alcohol Content Beverages on Crime in California

Background: Policy restrictions on malt liquor sales have been adopted in several cities throughout the United States in an effort to reduce crime around off-premise alcohol outlets. Although California has implemented the most restrictions on malt liquor sales, no studies in the published literature have evaluated the effects of these policies on reducing crime. Objectives: We evaluated the effectiveness of malt liquor restrictions on reducing crime around off-premise alcohol outlets in six California cities. We hypothesized that adoption of malt liquor policies would be significantly associated with decreases in crime within areas surrounding targeted outlets. Methods: We used an interrupted time-series design with control areas to examine the relationship between malt liquor policies and crime reduction. We compared crime rates three years prior and following adoption of malt liquor policies. Results: Malt liquor policies were associated with modest decreases in crime, largely Part II or less serious crimes such as simple assaults. The effectiveness of malt liquor policies varied by city, with reductions in crime greatest in Sacramento where policies were more restrictive than in other cities. Malt liquor policies were also associated with small increases in nuisance crime, especially in San Francisco. Conclusion: Results suggest that malt liquor policies may have modest effects on reducing crime when they include strong restrictions on the sale of malt liquor products. Results may be informative to other cities considering whether to maintain or change their malt liquor policies as well as cities considering placing restrictions on other high content beverages.