• Tim Stockwell, Jinhui Zhao, Scott Macdonald, Basia Pakula, Paul Gruenewald, and Harold Holder.
• Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia, University of Victoria, BCV8Y 2E4, Canada. timstock@uvic.ca
• Addiction. 2009 Nov 1; 104 (11): 1827-36.

AimTo investigate the independent effects on liquor sales of an increase in (a) the density of liquor outlets and (b) the proportion of liquor stores in private rather than government ownership in British Columbia between 2003/4 and 2007/8.DesignThe British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch provided data on litres of ethanol sold through different types of outlets in 89 local health areas of the province by beverage type. Multi-level regression models were used to examine the relationship between per capita alcohol sales and outlet densities for different types of liquor outlet after adjusting for potential confounding social, economic and demographic factors as well as spatial and temporal autocorrelation.SettingLiquor outlets in 89 local health areas of British Columbia, Canada.FindingsThe number of private stores per 10,000 residents was associated significantly and positively with per capita sales of ethanol in beer, coolers, spirits and wine, while the reverse held for government liquor stores. Significant positive effects were also identified for the number of bars and restaurants per head of population. The percentage of liquor stores in private versus government ownership was also associated significantly with per capita alcohol sales when controlling for density of liquor stores and of on-premise outlets (P < 0.01).ConclusionThe trend towards privatisation of liquor outlets between 2003/04 and 2007/08 in British Columbia has contributed to increased per capita sales of alcohol and hence possibly also to increased alcohol-related harm.

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