Where are the alcohol advertising hotspots near schools?

Issue addressed: Physically locating liquor stores near schools can strongly influence the chances of youth accessing and consuming alcohol, and may also increase children's exposure to alcohol advertising. Investigating the association between the presence of a liquor store near a school and the prevalence of outdoor alcohol advertising is crucial from a policy perspective, as it can inform future regulations on the placement of liquor stores and outdoor advertising near educational institutions.

Methods: All outdoor alcohol advertising within a 500 m radius (audit zone) of 64 randomly selected schools from local government areas across metropolitan Perth was identified by direct observation; recording the size, setting, location and content of each advertisement. Results were compared based on whether the school audit zone contained a liquor store or not.

Results: Over half (n = 36, 56%) of all school audit zones had at least one alcohol advertisement, with an average number of 5.9 alcohol advertisements per zone (SD = 10.2). The majority (97.9%) of advertisements were in the 38 audit zones containing a liquor store (average = 9.7, SD = 11.9 per zone), compared to zones without a liquor store (average = .3, SD = .7 per zone).

Conclusions: Perth school zones containing a liquor store in their 500 m radius had, on average, 30 times more outdoor alcohol advertising, compared with school zones without a nearby liquor store. SO WHAT?: The siting of liquor stores and the display of alcohol advertisements around educational settings require combined policy, planning and public health approaches to mitigate children's exposure to alcohol marketing, especially during school transit.