Alcohol Outlets and Problems in Baltimore: What the Data Say, What the Data Can’t Say, and Where Do We Go from Here?

Debra Furr-Holden, PhD

C. Debra Furr-Holden, PhDAssistant Professor and Director

Drug Investigations, Violence & Environmental (DIVE) Studies LaboratoryJHU Bloomberg School of Public Health Department of Mental Health111 Market PlaceBaltimore, MD 21202Suite 850dholden@jhsph.eduwww.divestudies.com

Alcohol Systems in Baltimore

Establishments

1. Zoning

2. Board of Liquor License Commissioners

3. Article 2B of the Maryland State Annotated Code

Alcohol Systems in Baltimore

Enforcement

1. Board of Liquor License Commissioners

2. BCPD

3. Maryland State Police

4. Maryland Sherriff's Office

Alcohol Systems in Baltimore

Treatment Mental Health/Drug Treatment

Federal provisions

Maryland State ADAA regulation

Local (BSAS) coordination

Community Treatment Providers

How We Use Data to Impact Policy/Enforcement

2 Examples from the Field

Alcohol Zoning Enforcement• Process evaluation for the Board of Liquor

License Commissioners for Baltimore City

• Review of State Article 2b which states no alcohol outlet can be within 300 feet of church or a school

• Queried alcohol outlet database

• Acquired school data from BC MOIT

• Triangulated school, outlet, local data (crime and violence), youth self-report data

Data is a MAJOR issue

1. Most data was not available in electronic form

• Location, type, owner information

• Write over files, versus append data to files

2. Paper records for violations and transfers

3. Antiquated filing system

4. Under performing/unfriendly staff

5. Practices (not policies) that limit access

Liquor Outlets in Baltimore City

Liquor Outlets and Drug Hot Spots

Liquor Outlets & K-12 Schools

Liquor Outlets, K-12 Schools, & Drug Hot Spots

Targeting a Selected Area

A Closer Look

How did this happen???

• A simple oversight with no oversight

• Does it really matter? Is there any real harm?

Alcohol Policy & Zoning

Enforcement

Alcohol Outlets

Physical and Social

Disorder

Youth Exposure to

VAOD

Violent Behavior

Youth Drug and Alcohol

Use

Alcohol Policy & Zoning

Enforcement

Alcohol Outlets

Physical and Social

Disorder

Youth Exposure to

VAOD

Alcohol Policy & Zoning

Enforcement

Alcohol Outlets

Physical and Social

Disorder

Alcohol Policy & Zoning

Enforcement

Alcohol Policy & Zoning

Enforcement

Alcohol Outlets Alcohol Outlets

Physical and Social

Disorder

Physical and Social

Disorder

Youth Exposure to

VAOD

Youth Exposure to

VAOD

Violent Behavior Violent

Behavior

Youth Drug and Alcohol

Use

Youth Drug and Alcohol

Use

Conceptual Model

Multi-Variable Analysis Results among High School Youth

9th -12th grade youth who attend schools that have at least one alcohol outlet within 300 feet of their school are • 4.5 times more likely to use drugs (OR 4.5; p=0.02)• 5 times more likely to report feeling unsafe on the walk

to school (OR 5.3; p=0.03)• 8 times more likely to have witnessed a violent assault

(OR 7.9, p=0.01)

Multi-Variable Analysis Results among 3rd-5th grade Youth3rd-5th grade youth who go to schools that have at least

one alcohol outlet within 300 feet of their school are • 4 times more likely to walk to school (OR 4.3; p=0.04)

(partly related to economics)• Almost 7 times more likely to report feeling unsafe on the

walk to school (OR 6.8; p=0.03)• 4 times more likely to be depressed (OR 4.2; p=0.02) • 5 times more likely to report seeing people using drugs or

getting drunk in their neighborhood (OR 5.2, p=0.01)

Outcomes to date

• Presented data to Liquor Commissioners and City Council

• Enforcement strategy in place

• 5 outlets closed so far as a direct result of this work

• Revision to the 300 foot rule – specification and possible expansion

• Unexpected Now alcohol outlets are on the radar BD7 and Bottle Club laws 8 other outlets closed secondarily

Recent Alcohol Policy Work in Baltimore

• AlcoPops Bill Passed in 2009

• Proposed revision to the 300 foot rule – specification and possible expansion

• BD7 Laws

• Bottle Club Laws

• Billboard Laws – unenforced but on the radar

• 13 alcohol bills in the State House in the 2010 session

THE DRINKING ENVIRONMENT AROUND THE HOMEWOOD CAMPUS: MAKING A CASE FOR MANAGING DENSITY

Baltimore City has 277

ecologically defined

neighborhoods; 242 are

residential

There are 1,277

licensed alcohol

outlets in Baltimore

City

The Homewood Campus is

just north of Central

Baltimore City

Put into Perspective…..

There are 97 alcohol outlets within the 1-mile buffer around the Homewood Campus

There are 41 alcohol outlets within the 1-mile buffer around the worse block in East Baltimore

There are 33 alcohol outlets within the 1-mile buffer around the worse block in West Baltimore

There are 25 alcohol outlets within the 1-mile buffer around Martin O’Malley’s former residence

Information on the 97 Licensed Alcohol Outlets around the Homewood Campus

Among these 97 licensed alcohol outlets:

• One-third (30) sell packaged goods exclusively

• The other two-thirds (67) sell alcohol on premises

• Two-thirds (64) sell alcohol 7 days per week

– Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s 95 of the 97 outlets

sell alcohol 7 days a week

Calls for Service for ‘Intoxicated Person’ by Month in 2008 within 1-mile of the Homewood Campus

Potential Environmental Strategies

Decrease the number of alcohol outlets in the surrounding area

Quote from Scribner et al (2009) Given the limited number of modifiable factors that affect college drinking, on-premise outlet density represents a potential modifiable means of addressing the problem.

Article 2b of the Maryland State Law has provisions for the distance alcohol outlets can be from a church or a school, perhaps similar legislation is needed to protect college students.

Enforcement

Discussion

• Data

• People

• Enforcement