Relationship between the number and type of alcohol outlets and mortality due to liver cirrhosis and traffic accidents.

The aim of the study was to determine the effect on liver cirrhosis and driver and motorcyclist mortality of changing the alcohol outlet rates in New South Wales relative to the adjacent control State of Victoria. A longitudinal study design with a six year before period (1968-1973) and a nine year after period (1974-1982) was used. A 10.5% relative increase in the total outlet rate for New South Wales during the after period was associated with significant increases in liver cirrhosis mortality (males + 22.1%, females + 17.7%) and driver and motorcyclist mortality (males + 19.8%, females + 18.9%) in comparison to the control state. The analyses also indicated that the increases in the dependent variables were apparently due to the higher outlet rates for restaurants and stores rather than for hotels and taverns. Attention is drawn to a number of limitations of the study design.