Addressing health equity with alcohol outlet density regulation

Research suggests that regulating alcohol outlet density, or the concentration of locations where alcoholic beverages are available for purchase, is one of the most effective strategies for reducing excessive drinking and related harms. Several studies have demonstrated higher alcohol outlet density to be located in neighborhoods with higher levels of poverty and with a higher proportion of Black and Latino residents. Alcohol outlet clustering is also shown to be associated with an increased risk of excessive alcohol use related harms, such as violent crime. This session aims to educate participants on the public health impact of alcohol outlet density and how policies regulating density can be used to address health equity.