Keep A Lid On When Alcohol Is Sold To Prevent Accidents
November 10, 2010
Prohibition-lite sort of works when it comes to reducing alcohol-related accidents.
New England: Home to Blue Laws and package stores.
When people have more time to buy alcohol, they consume more of it and more likely to have car crashes, research show.
So, public health advocates say, it's a mistake to relax rules that prohibit Sunday sales of alcohol, for instance, or to lengthen the hours when booze, beer and wine can be bought.
An independent task force made up of public health experts appointed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is calling on states and municipalities to hold the line on when alcohol is sales.
In a recommendation that will be published in the December issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the group says both the days when alcohol is sold is stores and the hours during which it's available should stay restricted.
They cited evidence from a bunch of studies that showed adding 2 hours to the allowed time each day for alcohol sales increased accidents, ER admissions and injuries.
Also, allowing sales on more days, say on Sunday, also led to more consumption and more accidents.
In case you're wondering, the group stopped short of calling for new restrictions because there isn't enough research on that.
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