Tag: GIS

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Tobacco and alcohol use pose significant global public health challenges and are major determinants of preventable morbidity and mortality.  Preventing tobacco and alcohol misuse in adolescence before habits are formed is an important policy goal. Previous research into the relationship between tobacco outlet density and smoking prevalence has resulted in mixed findings. Whilst some have reported increased smoking prevalence with a higher density of retail outlets around the home and school others have reported no significant associations.  For alcohol a positive association between drinking and alcohol outlet density has been reported around the home for adults, adolescents and around Universities for college students. Despite this there have been several calls for a policy response to address the tobacco retail environment, primarily by ‘restricting the number of retailers around child spaces’. We received seed funding from the Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy (SCPHRP) to examine the density of tobacco and alcohol retail outlets in Scotland and their association with the prevalence of drinking and smoking behaviours in school aged children. (more…)