Could Reducing Alcohol Outlets Lower Domestic Violence Rates?

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Could Reducing Alcohol Outlets Lower Domestic Violence Rates?

There is a known link between violence, specifically domestic violence, and substance use disorders. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, alcohol abuse is a leading risk factor for partner violence. Additionally, a domestic violence incident is worse when there is alcohol involved.

A new study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs suggested that reducing the liquor stores, bars, and restaurants that serve alcohol in any given area may reduce the rates of domestic violence. This was suggested after research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the link between alcohol sales and rates of domestic violence were reviewed by scientists. The research included 16 surveys that looked at where and when alcohol was sold, pricing of alcohol, and locations it was sold. They also looked into factors that may affect this, like low employment rates and areas of poverty, but none of these things interfered with the study.

From this research, they saw that there were higher rates of domestic violence in areas with many outlets to get alcohol, like bars, restaurants, and liquor stores. Because of this, they concluded that regulating the alcohol outlets in a specific area could drastically reduce the rates of domestic violence.