Healthy Development Measurement Toolkit

Indicator SC.1.f Density of off-sale alcohol outlets

Download PDF map.

Data Source

Location of Alcohol Outlets from California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC).

Map prepared by City and County of San Francisco, Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Section using ArcGIS software.

Table data is presented by planning neighborhood. Detailed information regarding geographic units of analysis, their definitions, and their boundaries can be found in the HDMT at the following links:

http://www.thehdmt.org/etc/Geographic_Units_of_Analysis.pdf

http://www.thehdmt.org/data_map_methods.php

Explanation and Limitations

"Off-sale alcohol outlets" are those authorized by the State of California to seel all types of alcoholic beverages for consumption off the premises in original, sealed containers, such as grocery stores, liquor stores, mini-marts, and package stores.  This excludes restaurants, bars and other types of facilities where alcohol is consumed onsite.

Because the density of alcohol outlets in San Francisco exceeds the state threshold (more than one for every 2,500 people in the county) as defined in ABC Act, Section 23817.5, San Francisco currently is under moratorium and no new alcohol outlet licenses are permitted.  When an existing business with a liquor license closes or ceases to use its license, that license may be bought or traded by another business owner within the city, if the proposed new business is not in an area of "undue concentration" (defined as 1) police districts where the number of reported crimes is 20% or greater than the city average and 2) census tracts where the ratio of off-sale alcohol licenses per population is greater than the county wide ratio).  More information about the licensing process is available on the Alcohol and Beverage Control Department's website: http://www.abc.ca.gov/cbnpc.html.

According to the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, "Neighborhoods where bars, restaurants and liquor and other stores that sell alcohol are close together suffer more frequent incidences of violence and other alcohol-related problems, according to recent research by the Prevention Research Center and others. The strong connection between alcohol and violence has been clear for a long time -- but now we know that this connection also relates to the location of places that sell alcohol."

Local governments can play a role in regulating these outlets through land use. For example, "Government agencies with authority over land use and/or liquor licenses can help fight crime and blight and improve quality of life by controlling licenses to sell alcohol and the location of licensees. Governments can make rules that set minimum distances between alcohol outlets; they can limit new licenses for areas that already have outlets too close together; they can stop issuing licenses when a particular location goes out of business; and they can permanently close outlets that repeatedly violate liquor laws." Accessed on November 27, 2006: http://resources.prev.org/documents/AlcoholViolenceGruenewald.pdf.

Why is this a Community Health Indicator?

Research strongly suggests that density of alcohol outlets is closely related to crime and violence. For example, one study in New Jersey found that neighborhoods with alcohol outlet density, controlling for age and poverty, had more violent crimes, including homicide, rape, assault, and robbery.^a In Los Angeles, a higher density of alcohol outlets was also associated with more violence, even when controlling for unemployment, age, ethnic and racial characteristics, and other community characteristics.^b In a six-year study of changes in numbers of alcohol outlets in 551 urban and rural zip code areas in California, an increase in the number of bars and off-premise places (e.g., liquor, convenience and grocery stores) was related to an increase in the rate of violence. These effects were largest in poor, minority areas of the state, those areas already saturated with the greatest numbers of outlets.^c  Finally, people who live near an abundance of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores compared to grocery stores and fresh produce vendors, have a significantly higher prevalence of obesity and diabetes.^d