Logo image
Back
Investigating the impacts of alcohol outlet zoning policy on alcohol consumption and access to non-alcoholic services: A spatial agent-based simulation
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Investigating the impacts of alcohol outlet zoning policy on alcohol consumption and access to non-alcoholic services: A spatial agent-based simulation

Tingting Ji, Ivana Stankov, Niles Sherman Egan, Kristen Hassmiller Lich, Rachel L.J. Thornton, Qi Wang, Takeru Igusa, Hsi-Hsien Wei and Pamela A. Matson
Health & place, v 94, 103489
01 Jul 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2025.103489
PMID: 40411920
url
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12178808/View
Open

Abstract

Agent-based models GIS liquor stores Outlet density Zoning policy Public Health
Debates continue over the effectiveness of limiting alcohol outlet density in reducing alcohol consumption, and its broader impacts on access to non-alcoholic services in low-income urban communities remain underexplored. This study addresses this gap by investigating the impacts of alcohol outlet zoning policies on alcohol consumption and walkable access to non-alcoholic services in low-income urban communities with different baseline densities of liquor and grocery stores. We developed a spatial agent-based model of Baltimore City neighborhoods, simulating the closure of non-conforming liquor stores following the city's zoning code rewrite. The model was calibrated using national survey data and empirical research on alcohol consumption and walkable access to alcohol, food, lottery, and ATM outlets by subgroups. We observed non-linear relationships and differences by gender and employment status in the effects of liquor store closures on heavy drinking, with policies showing limited effectiveness in neighborhoods with high baseline liquor store density. While the policies had minimal impact on access to food and ATMs due to high prevalence of grocery stores, they reduced access to lottery services. Our modeling approach serves as a valuable decision-making tool for policymakers to explore hypothetical scenarios, identify tipping points of policy impacts, and provide actionable insights into the complex interactions between zoning policies and neighborhood dynamics concerning alcohol consumption and access to essential goods and services. •A spatial agent-based model is developed to analyze zoning policies in low-income urban communities of color.•Zoning policies exhibit non-linear, context-specific impacts on alcohol consumption and access to food and social services.•Baseline store density is crucial for identifying tipping points and designing effective interventions.

Metrics

1 Record Views
2 citations in Web of Science

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

Source: SDGs in the Output

InCites Highlights

Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Logo image