Increasing alcohol sales hours ups crashes

ATLANTA, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- An independent, non-federal body of public health experts recommends retaining limits on days or hours during which alcohol can be sold in the United States.

Two reports by the Task Force on Community Preventive Services shows increasing the number of hours and days when alcohol can be legally sold in bars, restaurants and liquor stores leads to greater alcohol use and related harms -- especially motor-vehicle crashes.

The reports, published online in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine ahead of print issue in December, say excessive alcohol use causes more than 79,000 U.S. deaths annually and contributes to a number of health and social problems.

National, state, and local policies that remove previously banned alcohol sales on weekend days or that increase the hours of sale by 2 or more hours contribute to excessive drinking, driving after drinking and alcohol-related assault and injury, one of the reports says.

The Task Force on Community Preventive Services, a volunteer body of public health and prevention experts, says it makes its recommendations based on systematic reviews of scientific literature, while Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta provides scientific, administrative and technical support.