Retail alcohol sale privatization
Evidence Ratings
Scientifically Supported: Strategies with this rating are most likely to make a difference. These strategies have been tested in many robust studies with consistently positive results.
Some Evidence: Strategies with this rating are likely to work, but further research is needed to confirm effects. These strategies have been tested more than once and results trend positive overall.
Expert Opinion: Strategies with this rating are recommended by credible, impartial experts but have limited research documenting effects; further research, often with stronger designs, is needed to confirm effects.
Insufficient Evidence: Strategies with this rating have limited research documenting effects. These strategies need further research, often with stronger designs, to confirm effects.
Mixed Evidence: Strategies with this rating have been tested more than once and results are inconsistent or trend negative; further research is needed to confirm effects.
Evidence of Ineffectiveness: Strategies with this rating are not good investments. These strategies have been tested in many robust studies with consistently negative and sometimes harmful results. Learn more about our methods
Strategies with this rating are not good investments. These strategies have been tested in many robust studies with consistently negative and sometimes harmful results.
Evidence Ratings
Scientifically Supported: Strategies with this rating are most likely to make a difference. These strategies have been tested in many robust studies with consistently positive results.
Some Evidence: Strategies with this rating are likely to work, but further research is needed to confirm effects. These strategies have been tested more than once and results trend positive overall.
Expert Opinion: Strategies with this rating are recommended by credible, impartial experts but have limited research documenting effects; further research, often with stronger designs, is needed to confirm effects.
Insufficient Evidence: Strategies with this rating have limited research documenting effects. These strategies need further research, often with stronger designs, to confirm effects.
Mixed Evidence: Strategies with this rating have been tested more than once and results are inconsistent or trend negative; further research is needed to confirm effects.
Evidence of Ineffectiveness: Strategies with this rating are not good investments. These strategies have been tested in many robust studies with consistently negative and sometimes harmful results. Learn more about our methods
Strategies with this rating are not good investments. These strategies have been tested in many robust studies with consistently negative and sometimes harmful results.
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Societal rules shape community conditions. These rules can be written and formalized through laws, policies, regulations and budgets, or unwritten and informal, appearing in worldviews, values and norms. People with power create and uphold societal rules. These rules have the potential to maintain or shift power, which affects whether community conditions improve or worsen.
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Privatization of retail alcohol sales occurs when government control over sales is repealed, allowing commercial retailers to sell alcoholic beverages. Privatization generally applies only to off-premise outlets, such as liquor stores, and can occur at various levels of government1.
What does the research say about effectiveness?
There is strong evidence that privatization, repealing government control and allowing commercial retailing of alcoholic beverages, increases per capita alcohol consumption1, 2. Per capita alcohol consumption is a well-established proxy for excessive consumption1. Privatization is also associated with increases in alcohol-related mortality and health problems2.
A Pennsylvania-based study suggests that privatization of alcohol retail sales may increase alcohol outlet density3, which has also been shown to contribute to increased alcohol consumption1. A Washington-based study indicates increases in the number of alcohol outlets and assaults following privatization of wholesale distribution and retail sales of alcohol4.
How could this strategy impact health disparities? This strategy is rated no impact on disparities likely.
Footnotes
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1 CG-Alcohol - The Guide to Community Preventive Services (The Community Guide). Excessive alcohol consumption.
2 Treno 2014 - Treno AJ, Marzell M, Gruenewald PJ, Holder H. A review of alcohol and other drug control policy research. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. 2014;75(Supplement 17):98-107.
3 Grubesic 2012 - Grubesic TH, Murray AT, Pridemore WA, et al. Alcohol beverage control, privatization and the geographic distribution of alcohol outlets. BMC Public Health. 2012;12:1015.
4 Tabb 2016 - Tabb LP, Ballester L, Grubesic TH. The spatio-temporal relationship between alcohol outlets and violence before and after privatization: A natural experiment, Seattle, Wa 2010-2013. Spatial and Spatio-temporal Epidemiology. 2016;19:115-124.
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