Preventing excessive alcohol use : limiting days of sale

The Georgia Department Of Community Health
Fact Sheet
Preventing Excessive Alcohol Use: Limiting Days of Sale

How could repealing the ban on Sunday alcohol sales impact the health of Georgians?
Repealing existing limits on alcohol sales may result in increases in alcohol consumption, alcoholimpaired driving, fatal motor vehicle crashes and violent crime.
Alcohol Consumption Georgia youth and adults ages 14 and older consumed 2.1 gallons of ethanol per capita in 20071 Georgia adults who engaged in binge drinking (four or more drinks per occasion for women and five
or more drinks per occasion for men) binged an average of 4 times per month and consumed an average of 8 drinks per binge occasion in 20082
Alcohol-Impaired Driving Four percent of Georgia adults reported engaging in alcohol-impaired driving (2004, 2006, 2008)2 Driving under the influence offenses increase on weekends3, which may be due to increased police
enforcement
Motor Vehicle Crashes In 2008, alcohol was involved in 27% of fatal crashes in Georgia4 More fatal crashes occur on weekends, when people are more likely to be drinking alcohol4
Violent Crime Alcohol is involved in approximately 40% of violent crimes including murder, rape, sexual assault and
robberies5 Similar to motor vehicle crashes, the number of violent crimes increases on weekends3
Costs of Alcohol-Related Harms Each alcohol-related crash fatality cost Georgians an average of $4.9 million in 20056 Among alcohol-related crash survivors in Georgia, the average cost of injury is $145,0006 Alcohol-related crimes result in substantial costs due to victim loss of life, earnings and medical
expenses7 Expenses from alcohol-related crime are also incurred by the criminal justice system7 Thirty-eight percent of the economic burden of alcohol problems is paid for by government7

WWeeeekkddaayy WeWekekddaayy
WWeeeekkddayay

ReDporRirvetiepnDdogrrittvUeoindngthtdoUeetnrhAdetethlAraettnhlaIetnnatIfnalPuflPueoeonlnilciccceeee ODDOfeeffefppenaansrrtesmtsemesnetnt by WbyeWekedekadya, yA, tAlatlanntata,,2200007733

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Friday Saturday
Sunday 0

147 108
223 303 362 548
441 100 200 300 400 500 600
Nummbbeerr ooffCCrriimmeess

FatalFMataoltMorotVoreVheichilceleCCrraasshheessbybWy eWekedeaky,day, GeGoerogrgiaia,, 2200008844

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Friday Saturday
Sunday 0

170 171
183 171
213 242
218
50 100 150 200 250 300
NNuummbber off CCrraasshheess

VVioiolelennttCCrriimmeessRReeppoorrtteedd ttoo tthhee AAttllaannttaa PolicPeoDliceepaDretmpeanrttmbeynWt beyeWkdeaeyk,dAatyla, nta,
Atlan2t0a0, 7230073

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Friday Saturday
Sunday
0

1959 1947 1923 1898 1985
2140 2122
500 1000 1500 2000 2500
NNuummbbeerr ooff CCrriimmeess

2 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, Ga 30303 w www.dch.georgia.gov

January 2010

Preventing Excessive Alcohol Use: Limiting Days of Sale
Why are there limits on the days that alcohol is sold?
Regulations limiting days that alcohol can be sold are intended to prevent excessive alcohol use and related harms8
Excessive alcohol use is associated with increased risk for alcohol-related illness and injury9 In 2008, 16 states including Georgia had a ban on Sunday alcohol sales for off-premises consumption (e.g.,
sales in grocery, convenience or liquor stores)8 In 2008, 17 states and the District of Columbia had some restrictions on Sunday alcohol sales such as limited
hours or types of alcohol that could be sold8
What scientific evidence is there to support limiting days that alcohol is sold?
Removing limits on days of sale8 Off-premises settings (e.g., grocery, convenience, liquor stores): Repeal of a ban on Sunday alcohol sales in New Mexico was associated with a 30% increase in motor vehicle
fatalities on Sundays compared with other days in the week (1995) In the United States, increased days of sale were found to be associated with an increase in per capita
consumption of spirits and beer Repeal of a Saturday ban on alcohol sales was associated with a small increase in alcohol consumption and
alcohol-impaired driving in Sweden On-premises settings (e.g., restaurants, bars, ballparks): In five studies of policies in the United States and Australia, expanding days of sale was found to be
associated with increased motor vehicle crashes and alcohol-impaired driving New Sunday alcohol sales were associated with a small increase in individual-level consumption in Scotland
Imposing limits on days of sale8 Off-premises settings (e.g., grocery, convenience, liquor stores): Local repeal of a statewide policy allowing Sunday alcohol sales in New Mexico was associated with a
reduction in motor vehicle crash fatalities An experimental ban of Saturday alcohol sales was associated with a 17% reduction in violence and 36%
reduction in alcohol-related police interventions in Sweden10
Sources: 1. Alcohol Epidemiologic Data System. LaVallee, R.A.; Williams, G.D.; and Yi, H. Surveillance Report #87:Apparent Per
Capita Alcohol Consumption: National, State, and Regional Trends, 19702007. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 2. 2004, 2006, 2008 Georgia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) http://health.state.ga.us/epi/brfss/ publications.asp. 3. 2007 Atlanta Police Department Reported Crimes. 4. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Fatality Analysis Reporting System Encyclopedia, 2008. http:// www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx. 5. Greenfeld LA. Alcohol and Crime: An Analysis of National Data on the Prevalence of Alcohol Involvement in Crime. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1998. 6. West Virginia Injury Control Research Center. Impaired Driving Fact Sheets. http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/icrc/AHRQFORM. asp. 7. Harwood, H. Updating Estimates of the Economic Costs of Alcohol Abuse in the United States: Estimates, Update Methods, and Data. Report prepared by The Lewin Group for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2000. 8. Guide to Community Preventive Services. Preventing excessive alcohol use: Maintaining limits on days of sale. www. thecommunityguide.org/alcohol/limitingsale.html. 9. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005. Available at: www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines. 10. Olsson O, Wikstrom PH. Effects of the experimental Saturday closing of liquor retail stores in Sweden. Contemporary Drug Problems 1982; 325-53.
Date Updated: January 2010