Injuries linked to where alcohol is sold

NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers associated injuries in young people to the type of alcohol outlet -- stores that sell alcohol, bars and restaurants -- they frequented.

Richard Scribner of Louisiana State University in New Orleans and Paul Gruenewald of the Prevention Research Center in Berkeley, Calif., and colleagues found in young people of legal age, a greater number of alcohol-serving restaurants was related to traffic injuries and a greater number of bars to assault injuries.

There is a strong association between an increasing density of off-premise outlets such as convenience stores and liquor stores and higher rates of all injury outcomes among both underage youth and young adults.

The study, published online ahead of print in the March issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, suggested the neighborhood's alcohol environment plays a role in the risk exposure of young people.

"This is hopeful because a community-based approach that addresses the over concentration of alcohol outlets in a neighborhood where youth injuries are a problem is relatively easy compared with interventions targeting each youth individually," Scribner said in a statement.

The researchers looked at non-public hospital discharge data from the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. They linked 99 percent of the discharges to residential zip codes and demographic and other data related to alcohol outlets in relation to underage youth between ages 18-20 and of-age young adults ages 21-29.