COMMERCIAL AVAILABILITY OF ALCOHOL

Commercial availability refers to the extent alcohol is readily available in the community and the ease with which adults and underage youth can obtain it through retail alcohol outlets such as bars and restaurants, where alcohol is consumed on site (on-sale outlets) and liquor stores, convenience stores, etc, where alcohol is consumed off site (off-sale outlets).

Problems:

Underage Alcohol Access / Auto Crashes — Convenience stores, drug stores, mini markets and liquor stores are often located in areas where youth congregate and are one of the primary sources for underage access to alcohol. Many bars and restaurants are also located along major highways in the region, which may contribute to the high rates of alcohol-related auto crashes in some areas. Another issue is the way alcohol is packaged, as this can influence the time and place in which it is consumed. Some of the problematic products currently being offered for sale are known as single-serve alcoholic beverages. Packaged in single containers that are ready for immediate consumption, these products often contain as many as four or five servings of alcohol. As such they can lead to public drinking and a host of other problems. For more information about what kinds of problems are related to the availability of such products, click on the link below:

Issue Briefing: Single Serve Alcoholic Beverages

Solutions:

Community members have several policy options to improve the health and safety of their communities by controlling overconsumption of alcohol, underage drinking, drinking and driving, and other alcohol-related problems. They can regulate the location and business practices of alcohol retail outlets by establishing a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) or Public Convenience or Necessity (PCN)  for  new licensees or Deemed Approved Ordinance (DAO), for existing ones. Communities have used such regulations to require alcohol service training for owners and employees of commercial establishments which sell and/or serve alcohol, restrict location, hours of operation, and to reduce alcohol outlet density in certain areas. Another approach is to ensure that all those that handle alcohol have the best training available on the responsible methods of alcohol sales and service. For more information about these approaches, click on one of the links below:

Conditional Use Permit (CUP) — allows local communities to place conditions on the operation of new alcohol outlets, both on- and off-sale.

Deemed Approved Ordinances (DAO) — are nuisance abatement tools that regulate existing alcohol on/off sale outlets.

Public Convenience or Necessity (PCN) --- authorizes municipalities to control the number of bars and retail outlets in areas that are  already oversaturated and/or areas that have high crime rates.

Responsible Beverage Sales and Service of Policies – ensuring that managers, sellers and servers of alcoholic beverages have training on responsible methods of checking identifications and refusing service to already-intoxicated patrons.