Under the influence: Liquor outlet density and domestic violence in Alberta.

• Author: Wells, Lana

We have too many liquor outlets in Alberta. Okay, we said it. This is a conversation that most Albertans don't want to have.

Privatization Effects

In 1993, Alberta became the only Canadian jurisdiction to fully privatize the sale of alcohol. Since then, we have gone from 200 liquor outlet stores to over 2,000.

Evidence associates high levels of liquor outlet density with increasing rates of alcohol consumption and violence, including domestic violence. This correlation is evident in Alberta, where rates of domestic violence are among the highest in Canada (Statistics Canada, 2011).

After Alberta's liquor industry was privatized, rates of violence involving alcohol rose dramatically, jumping 20 per cent in the year after privatization. Rates of spousal and non-spousal homicides involving alcohol also increased, bringing Alberta's rates above the national average (Government of Alberta, 2007).

In an analysis of 6,407 domestic violence cases in Calgary spanning from 1998 to 2009, Tutty et al. (2011) found that police identified alcohol use in 61% of the accused and 28% of the victims at the time of the incident.

Alberta's rates of drinking and heavy drinking are higher compared to other Canadian provinces, "particularly among males aged 15 to 39" (Government of Alberta, 2007: 18). Combined with international research findings (Popova et al., 2009; Stockwell et al., 2011), these trends suggest a link between privatization, increased liquor outlet density and domestic violence rates.

How Alcohol Consumption Increases Domestic Violence

The relationship between alcohol use, gender inequity, and domestic violence is well established (de Visser and Smith, 2007; Peralta and Steele, 2011). In addition, alcohol reduces inhibitions and impacts cognitive functioning, thereby reducing one's ability to control aggressive behaviour.

The availability of alcohol alone would not cause violent behaviour; however, when combined with preexisting gender expectations which render violence and drinking as acceptable male behaviours, it can be a contributing factor (Peralta and Steele, 2011).

Increasing evidence links high alcohol outlet density to domestic violence, as well as health issues, mortality, crime, suicides and homicides (Campbell et al., 2009; Gorman et al., 2001). In fact, alcohol outlet density is one of the strongest--and in some cases the single greatest--predictor of violent crime in several U.S. jurisdictions.

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