title: Traffic crashes and alcohol outlets in a Brazilian state capital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Restricting alcohol outlets is being considered as a measure for preventing alcohol-related crashes. However, in many developing countries, alcohol availability is not regulated and its influence on motor vehicle traffic crashes is unknown. This study explores the association between traffic crashes and alcohol outlets in a Brazilian city.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were geocoded and exploratory analysis was conducted using the kernel density estimator. Two generalized additive models (GAMs) were implemented to predict the factors associated with alcohol-related crashes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For 78 percent of the 3840 traffic crashes where the driver was a victim, there was at least one bar located within a 300-m radius. The median distances between an outlet were 124.4 and 130.7 m for a non-alcohol- and alcohol-related crashes, respectively (P =.13). The GAMs did not make evident any significant association between the outlet locations and alcohol-related crashes: the presence of at least one outlet was associated with alcohol-related crashes with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.94 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.75-1.17). Alcohol crashes are more likely to be observed among males (OR = 1.58; 95% CI = 1.21-2.06), young drivers vs. those aged 50 years+ (OR = 3.4; 95% CI = 1.79-6.43), and crashes with fatalities (OR = 1.73; 95% CI = 0.98-3.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Density of alcohol outlets was high all over the city and both alcohol- and non-alcohol-related crashes occurred near an outlet. The study helps to better understand the relationship between alcohol availability and traffic crashes in a middle-income country where licensing/zoning is absent and suggests that measures for restricting the physical availability of alcohol are necessary, even though further studies are still needed.
authors.affiliation: Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil. raqueldeboni@gmail.com
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Boni
authors.forename: Oswaldo G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: Eliseu
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Heinrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hasenack
authors.forename: Lucio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lucatelli
authors.forename: Paulina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gracie
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pechansky
authors.forename: Francisco I
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Bastos
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D001938:Brazil; D003132:Commerce / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult