Alcohol and cannabis use and co-use among Whites and Hispanics on and off the U.S./Mexico border in California.

This paper examines self-reported rates of drinking and cannabis use and co-use among White and Hispanic adults randomly selected in four counties in California: Imperial on the border; and Kern, Tulare, and Madera in California's Central Valley. Co-use was significantly higher among the U.S. born than among those born abroad, and in the Central Valley than on the border. Co-users were heavier drinkers, had higher rates of alcohol use disorder, other alcohol problems, and a positive history of illicit drug use than drinkers only.

Did the association between alcohol outlet density and crime change during COVID shelter-in-place orders?

INTRODUCTION: We investigated whether greater concentrations of on- and off-sale alcohol outlets were associated with crime and whether this association was moderated by COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders (SIP) that restricted on-premises consumption of alcohol. METHODS: Crimes (2019-2020) and addresses of licenced alcohol outlets in a medium-sized California city were geocoded within census block groups (N = 61). On- and off-sale alcohol outlet density was calculated as licenced outlets/2.59 km2 (1 square mile). Multilevel negative binomial regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between alcohol outlet density and crime, and possible moderating effects of SIP, controlling for block group demographic characteristics and density of other retail businesses. RESULTS: On-sale outlet density was positively associated with total crimes and Part 2 crimes, while off-sale outlet density was inversely associated with total crime and Part 2 crimes. Overall, SIP was not significantly associated with crime, but moderated the associations of on-sale density with total crime and Part 1 crimes such that reductions in crime during SIP were observed in higher density areas. The association of off-sale outlets with crime was not moderated by SIP policies. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: On-sale outlet density, but not off-sale density, appears to be associated with increased crime. The results further indicate that restrictions in hours and service imposed by SIP policies reduced crime in high on-sale outlet density areas. These findings reinforce the importance of regulating alcohol outlet density and hours of service, especially for on-sale outlets, as a crime reduction strategy.

Contexts of Drinking- and Alcohol-Related Problems Among Whites and Hispanics on and off the US/Mexico border in California.

BACKGROUND: This paper examines the association between drinking context use by Whites and Hispanics on and off the US/Mexico border and alcohol problems. METHODS: Data come from a household sample of 1209 adults 18 to 39 years of age resident in Imperial County on the California/Mexico border; and Kern, Tulare, and Madera in California's Central Valley. Data were collected on the phone or online and analyzed with an ordinal generalized linear model. RESULTS: The pattern of statistically significant associations between the frequency and the volume of drinking in different contexts varies across problem types. Furthermore, some contexts of drinking are associated with problems in more than one area. For instance, frequency of drinking at bars/pubs is associated with social problems, risky sex, and fights, but not with injuries. Injuries are associated with the frequency of drinking at home alone or with family and at restaurants. Volume of drinking at bars/pubs is also significantly associated with three different contexts: social problems, injury, and fights. But the volume of drinking at the home of friends or relatives is associated with fights only. Border location is an effect modifier, changing the effect of frequency of drinking at bars and pubs from protective to a factor of risk for social problems and fights. CONCLUSION: These results provide support for the social ecology of drinking and micro environmental factors or risk. The effect of border location on frequency of drinking in bars/pubs underlines the importance of the macro environment in problem generation.

Gender moderates the association between posttraumatic stress disorder and mutual intimate partner violence in an emergency department sample.

INTRODUCTION: Patients in emergency departments (EDs) constitute a diverse population with multiple health-related risk factors, many of which are associated with intimate partner violence (IPV). This paper examines the interaction effect of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), impulsivity, drug use, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), at-risk drinking, and having a hazardous drinker partner with gender on mutual physical IPV in an urban ED sample. METHODS: Research assistants surveyed 1037 married, cohabiting, or partnered patients in face-to-face interviews (87% response rate) regarding IPV exposure, alcohol and drug use, psychological distress, ACEs, and other sociodemographic features. IPV was measured with the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale. Interaction effects were examined in multinomial and logistic models. RESULTS: Results showed a significant interaction of gender and PTSD (odds ratio [OR] 3.06, 95% CI 1.21-7.23, p < 0.05) for mutual IPV. Regarding main effects, there were also statistically significant positive associations between mutual physical IPV and at-risk drinking (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.07-2.77, p < 0.05), having a hazardous drinker partner (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.35-3.55, p < 0.01), illicit drug use (OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.18-3.71, p < 0.01), ACEs (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.06-1.42, p < 0.01), days of cannabis use past in the 12 months (OR 1.003, 95% CI 1.002-1.005, p < 0.001), and impulsivity (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.29-3.22, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: IPV risk assessment in EDs will be more effective if implemented with attention to patients' gender and the presence of various and diverse other risk factors, especially PTSD.

The Association between the Percentage of Female Law Enforcement Officers and Rape Report, Clearance, and Arrest Rates: A Spatiotemporal Analysis of California.

Rape is an underreported violent crime that frequently remains uncleared (open) in the legal system. Rape disproportionately affects women, with 91% of rape victim-survivors estimated to be female. However, law enforcement agencies, the entry point into the criminal justice system, are predominantly comprised of male officers. According to the theory of representative bureaucracy, groups with greater representation in a bureaucratic system are more likely to have their interests protected. This study aims to determine if California law enforcement agencies with a higher percentage of female officers are more likely to have higher rates of rape reporting, clearances, and arrests. No previous study has examined this relationship using statewide data. Crimes and Clearances, Monthly Arrest and Citation Register, and Uniform Crime Reporting data for California (2013-2016) were aggregated into 499 Law Enforcement Reporting Areas (LERA). Bayesian space-time Poisson regressions controlling for LERA demographics and crime produced scaled relative rates for three outcomes: (a) rape report rate: number of reports relative to population ages 18+; (b) rape clearance rate: number of clearances relative to reports; and (c) rape arrest rate: number of arrests for rape relative to reports. A 5% increase in the percentage of female officers within an agency was associated with a 6.2% increase in the rape report rate (ARR: 1.062, 95% credible interval (CI) [1.048, 1.077]), a 2.9% decrease in the clearance rate (ARR: 0.971 95% CI [0.950, 0.993]), and no change in the rape arrest rates (ARR: 1.010; 95% CI [0.981, 1.039]) across all LERA. Thus, increased female officer representation was associated with an increase in rape reporting rates but associated with a decrease in rape clearance rates. The theory of representative bureaucracy was only partially supported, and these relationships may not be causal. The quantity of rape reports received by an agency, employment and promotion practices of agencies, and victim-survivor's attitudes toward officer's gender should also be considered.

A statewide study of disparities in local policies and tobacco, vape, and cannabis retail environments.

The current study: (1) assesses sociodemographic disparities in local policies related to tobacco and cannabis retail, and (2) examines the cross-sectional association between policy strength and retailer densities of tobacco, e-cigarette (vape), and cannabis retailers within California cities and county unincorporated areas (N = 539). We combined (a) American Community Survey data (2019 5-year estimates), (b) 2018 tobacco, vape, and cannabis retailer locations from a commercial data provider, (c) 2017 tobacco and vape retail environment policy data from American Lung Association, and (d) 2018 cannabis policy data from California Cannabis Local Laws Database. Conditional autoregressive models examined policy strength associations with sociodemographic composition and retailer density in California jurisdictions. Jurisdictions with larger percentages of Black and foreign-born residents had stronger tobacco and vape policies. For cannabis policy, only income had a small, significant positive association with policy strength. Contrary to hypothesis, tobacco/vape policies were not significantly associated with retailer density, but cannabis policy strength was associated with lower cannabis retailer density (relative rate = 0.58, 95% Uncertainty Interval 0.47-0.70)-this effect was completely driven by storefront bans. Thus, storefront cannabis bans were the only policy studied that was associated with lower cannabis retailer density. Further research is needed to understand policies and disparities in retail environments for tobacco, vape, and cannabis, including data on the prospective association between policy implementation and subsequent retailer density, and the role of enforcement.

Drinking and driving among Whites and Hispanics on and off the US/Mexico border in California.

OBJECTIVE: To examine self-reported rates of driving under the influence (DUI) with and without arrest among border and non-border residents in California. METHODS: Data were obtained from 1,209 adults 18 to 39 years of age resident in four counties in California: Imperial on the U.S./Mexico border; and Kern, Tulare, and Madera in California's Central Valley. Households were selected using a list assisted sample. Data were collected on the phone or online and analyzed with a heteroskedastic ordinal generalized linear model. RESULTS: Driving after drinking (11.1% vs. 6.5%; q = 0.04) and the lifetime DUI arrest rates were higher for men than women (10.7% vs. 4%; q = 0.001). In multivariable analysis driving after drinking and DUI arrests were not higher on the border, not higher among Hispanics than Whites, and among Hispanics, the rates were not higher among those located on the border. Income was positively associated with drinking and driving. Impulsivity was positively and significantly associated with both drinking and driving and lifetime DUI arrest. CONCLUSION: The null results suggest that DUI related risk behaviors may not be higher on the border than in other areas of California. There may be health related risk behaviors of higher prevalence in the border population than in other areas, but DUI related behavior may not be one of them.

Changes in Opioid and Benzodiazepine Poisoning Deaths After Cannabis Legalization in the US: A County-level Analysis, 2002-2020.

BACKGROUND: Cannabis legalization for medical and recreational purposes has been suggested as an effective strategy to reduce opioid and benzodiazepine use and deaths. We examined the county-level association between medical and recreational cannabis laws and poisoning deaths involving opioids and benzodiazepines in the US from 2002 to 2020. METHODS: Our ecologic county-level, spatiotemporal study comprised 49 states. Exposures were state-level implementation of medical and recreational cannabis laws and state-level initiation of cannabis dispensary sales. Our main outcomes were poisoning deaths involving any opioid, any benzodiazepine, and opioids with benzodiazepines. Secondary analyses included overdoses involving natural and semi-synthetic opioids, synthetic opioids, and heroin. RESULTS: Implementation of medical cannabis laws was associated with increased deaths involving opioids (rate ratio [RR] = 1.14; 95% credible interval [CrI] = 1.11, 1.18), benzodiazepines (RR = 1.19; 95% CrI = 1.12, 1.26), and opioids+benzodiazepines (RR = 1.22; 95% CrI = 1.15, 1.30). Medical cannabis legalizations allowing dispensaries was associated with fewer deaths involving opioids (RR = 0.88; 95% CrI = 0.85, 0.91) but not benzodiazepine deaths; results for recreational cannabis implementation and opioid deaths were similar (RR = 0.81; 95% CrI = 0.75, 0.88). Recreational cannabis laws allowing dispensary sales was associated with consistent reductions in opioid- (RR = 0.83; 95% CrI = 0.76, 0.91), benzodiazepine- (RR = 0.79; 95% CrI = 0.68, 0.92), and opioid+benzodiazepine-related poisonings (RR = 0.83; 95% CrI = 0.70, 0.98). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of medical cannabis laws was associated with higher rates of opioid- and benzodiazepine-related deaths, whereas laws permitting broader cannabis access, including implementation of recreational cannabis laws and medical and recreational dispensaries, were associated with lower rates. The estimated effects of the expanded availability of cannabis seem dependent on the type of law implemented and its provisions.

Micro-temporal analyses of crime related to alcohol outlets: A comparison of outcomes over weekday, weekend, daytime and nighttime hours.

INTRODUCTION: Causal relationships between alcohol outlets and crime are inferred from their statistical associations across neighbourhoods. However, many unobserved covariates may confound these effects. Recognising that outlet sales vary by time of day and day of week, we assess whether areas with more bars/pubs, restaurants or off-premise outlets have more crime during days and times when alcohol sales are greatest. METHODS: Annual administrative crime counts, sociodemographic data and other area characteristics of 336 Census block groups in Oakland, California, USA, were related to outlet densities from 2000 to 2015. Bayesian space-time Poisson models were used to measure associations between outlet densities and crime during: (i) weekday daytime; (ii) weekday nighttime; (iii) weekend daytime; and (iv) weekend nighttime periods (four seemingly unrelated equations). Comparisons of parameter estimates across equations provided an assessment of outlet effects on crime across days and times within the same analysis units using the same constellation of confounding covariates. RESULTS: Assault and driving under the influence crime incidents during weekend evening hours were more frequent in Census block group areas with greater numbers of bar/pubs. Burglaries were consistently greater in areas with greater densities of restaurants. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The spatiotemporal signature relating densities of bars/pubs over weekend evening hours to assault and driving under the influence incidents suggests that these outlets are a critical source of these crimes across neighbourhoods. Prevention programs and policies that focus upon specific drinking establishments, days and times may be most effective in reducing assault and impaired driving incidents in neighbourhoods.

Drinking in Mexico by Whites and Hispanics on and off the US/Mexico border in California.

This paper compares drinking patterns of Whites and Hispanics who after crossing the U.S./Mexico border drink and do not drink in Mexico. Data came from a household survey of 1,209 adults 18 to 39 years of age in California. Residence near the US/Mexico border increases the likelihood of drinking in Mexico (AOR = 4.57; 95%CI = 2.45-8.52; p < .001). Hispanics (AOR = 1.91; 95%CI = 1.26-2.90; p < .01), those who drink more frequently (AOR = 1.05; 95%CI = 1.02-1.09; p < .01) and those who drink six or more drinks in day (AOR = 1.91; 95%CI = 1.26-2.29; p < .01) are more likely than Whites and lighter drinkers to report this behavior. Crossing the U.S./Mexico border to drink is influenced by living close to the border, Hispanic ethnicity, and drinking many drinks in a day.

Community-Level Alcohol Availability and Child Maltreatment: A Statewide Panel Analysis Over 13 Years.

OBJECTIVE: Parental or caregiver alcohol use, particularly heavy regular or episodic use, can increase the risk of child maltreatment within individual families. At the national level, higher per capita alcohol consumption has been associated with increased child injury mortality in Australia. This study aimed to investigate whether an association exists between substantiated child maltreatment cases, numbers of licensed outlets, and average alcohol sales volumes at the community level (local government area [LGA]) over a 13-year period across Western Australia (WA). METHOD: Annual panel data were obtained for 132 WA LGAs over the period 2001-2013. Bayesian conditional autoregressive Poisson regression was applied to test associations between numbers of substantiated child maltreatment cases and per-population densities and mean sales volumes of off-trade and on-trade alcohol outlets. Associations were adjusted for the presence of local alcohol restrictions and mandatory reporting; density of on-trade outlets; and their sales, demographic, and socioeconomic variables. RESULTS: Comprehensive area-level alcohol bans and policies restricting alcohol sales reduced child maltreatment by 9.6% and 38.5%, whereas mandatory reporting of child maltreatment increased substantiations by 15.3%. Counterintuitively, for each additional 1,000 L of ethanol sold per off-premise outlet, there was a 3.7% decline in child maltreatment. CONCLUSIONS: Local government alcohol restrictions predicted reduced child abuse and neglect. Findings that increases in off-trade outlets predicted a decreased risk of child maltreatment at a local level are seemingly at odds with these findings, but outlet density may be acting as a measure of less disorganization. Alcohol policy that affects alcohol availability can reduce child maltreatment in at-risk areas. Local area alcohol bans and interventions reducing hours of sale should be further evaluated to confirm these findings.

Equity in Coverage of Local Cannabis Control Policies in California, 2020‒2021.

Objectives. To assess whether cannabis control policies that may protect public health were adopted evenly across California localities with differing sociodemographic compositions. Methods. From November 2020 to January 2021, we measured cannabis control policies for 241 localities across California and linked them to data on the characteristics of the communities affected by these policies. We evaluated whether disadvantaged communities were more likely to allow cannabis businesses and less likely to be covered by policies designed to protect public health. Results. Localities with all-out bans on cannabis businesses (65% of localities) were disproportionately high-education (55.8% vs 50.5% with any college) and low-poverty (24.3% vs 34.2%), with fewer Black (4.4% vs 6.9%) and Latinx (45.6% vs 50.3%) residents. Among localities that allowed retail cannabis businesses (28%), there were more cannabis control policies in localities with more high-income and Black residents, although the specific policies varied. Conclusions. Cannabis control policies are unequally distributed across California localities. If these policies protect health, inequities may be exacerbated. Public Health Implications. Uniform adoption of recommended cannabis control policies may help limit any inequitable health impacts of cannabis legalization. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(11):1640-1650. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307041).

Alcohol use disorder among Whites and Hispanics on and off the U.S./Mexico border in California.

This paper examines whether U.S./Mexico border residence in California is related to the prevalence of DSM-5 alcohol use disorder (AUD) among Whites and Hispanics. Household survey data were obtained from 1,209 adults (59.7% female) 18 to 39 years of age resident in four counties in California: Imperial on the U.S./Mexico border; and Kern, Tulare, and Madera in California's Central Valley. Households were selected using a list assisted sample, with data collected on the phone or online. Results show that AUD rates were not different between border and non-border location and between Whites and Hispanics. AUD was negatively associated with higher income ($20,000 to $60,000: AOR=.38; 95%CI=.17-.86; p<.01-more than $60,000: AOR=.27; 95%CI: .09-.81; p<.01) and poor risk perception (AOR=.86; 95%CI=.78-.94; p<.01). AUD was positively associated with continued volume of drinking (AOR = 1.05; 95%CI = 1.01-1.09; p<.01), drinking in Mexico (AOR = 4.28; 95%CI = 1.61-11.36; p<.01), marijuana use (AOR = 4.11; 95%CI = 1.73-9.77; p<.01), and impulsivity (AOR = 1.55; 95%CI = 1.23-1.94). Efforts to prevent AUD in the population in California, and especially among those who live close to the border with Mexico, should take into consideration factors such as impulsivity, marijuana use, border crossing to drink in Mexico, all of which increased risk of AUD.

A Spatiotemporal Analysis of the Association of California City and County Cannabis Policies with Cannabis Outlet Densities.

BACKGROUND: Cannabis outlets may affect health and health disparities. Local governments can regulate outlets, but little is known about the effectiveness of local policies in limiting outlet densities and discouraging disproportionate placement of outlets in vulnerable neighborhoods. METHODS: For 241 localities in California, we measured seven policies pertaining to density or location of recreational cannabis outlets. We geocoded outlets using web-scraped data from the online finder Weedmaps between 2018 and 2020. We applied Bayesian spatiotemporal models to evaluate associations of local cannabis policies with Census block group-level outlet counts, accounting for confounders and spatial autocorrelation. We assessed whether associations differed by block group median income or racial-ethnic composition. RESULTS: Seventy-six percent of localities banned recreational cannabis outlets. Bans were associated with fewer outlets, particularly in block groups with higher median income, fewer Hispanic residents, and more White and Asian residents. Outlets were disproportionately located in block groups with lower median income [posterior RR (95% credible interval): 0.76 (0.70, 0.82) per $10,000], more Hispanic residents [1.05 (1.02, 1.09) per 5%], and fewer Black residents [0.91 (0.83, 0.98) per 5%]. For the six policies in jurisdictions permitting outlets, two policies were associated with fewer outlets and two with more; two policy associations were uninformative. For these policies, we observed no consistent heterogeneity in associations by median income or racial-ethnic composition. CONCLUSIONS: Some local cannabis policies in California are associated with lower cannabis outlet densities, but are unlikely to deter disproportionate placement of outlets in racial-ethnic minority and low-income neighborhoods.

Association of Cannabis Use and At-Risk Alcohol Use With Intimate Partner Violence in an Urban ED Sample.

INTRODUCTION: Urban ED patients have elevated rates of substance use and intimate partner violence. The purpose of this study is to describe the risk profiles for intimate partner violence among urban ED patients who report at-risk alcohol use only, cannabis use only, or both types of substance use. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey data were collected from study participants (N = 1037; 53% female; ages 18-50) following informed consent. We measured participants' past-year at-risk drinking (women/men who had 4+/5+ drinks in a day), cannabis use, psychosocial and demographic characteristics, and past-year physical intimate partner violence (assessed with the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale). We used bivariate analysis to assess whether rates of intimate partner violence perpetration and victimization differed by type of substance use behavior. Multivariate logistic regression models were estimated for each intimate partner violence outcome. All analyses were stratified by gender. RESULTS: Rates of intimate partner violence differed significantly by type of substance use behavior and were highest among those who reported both at-risk drinking and cannabis use. Multivariate analysis showed that women who reported at-risk drinking only, cannabis use only, or both types of substance use had increased odds for intimate partner violence perpetration and victimization compared with women who reported neither type of substance use. Men's at-risk drinking and cannabis use were not associated with elevated odds of intimate partner violence perpetration or victimization. DISCUSSION: Brief screening of patients' at-risk drinking and cannabis use behaviors may help identify those at greater risk for intimate partner violence and those in need of referral to treatment.

Trends and correlates of spatially aggregated alcohol-involved crashes among Whites and Hispanics in California.

AIMS: This paper examines trends and correlates of alcohol-involved motor vehicle crashes (AMVCs) in California between 2005 and 2016 among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Whites (Whites hereafter). Together these two groups comprise 76% of the state population. The paper also examines whether alcohol outlet density, percentage of Hispanics in census tract populations, and distance to the U.S./Mexico border are related to greater risks for AMVCs. The border is of interest given the greater availability of alcohol in the area. METHODS: Crash data come from Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System maintained by the California Highway Patrol. Sociodemographic and community characteristics data from the U.S. Census and alcohol outlet density were aggregated to census tracts. Total motor vehicle crashes and AMVCs were related to these characteristics using hierarchical Bayesian Poisson space-time models. RESULTS: There were over two million injury and fatality crashes during the period of analysis, of which 11% were AMVCs. About 1.7% of these crashes had fatalities. The rate of AMVCs increased among both Whites and Hispanics until 2008. After 2008, the rate among Whites declined through 2016 while the rate among Hispanics declined for 2 years (2009 and 2010) and increased thereafter. Crash distance from the border (RR = 1.016, 95% CI = 1.010 to 1.022) and percent Hispanic population (RR = 1.006; 95% CI = 1.003 to 1.009) were well-supported results with 95% credible intervals that did not include 1. The percentages of the following: bars/pubs, males, individuals aged 18 to 29 and 40 to 49 years, U.S. born population, individuals below the 150% poverty level, unemployed, housing vacant, and housing owner-occupied were all positively associated with AMVCs and well supported. CONCLUSIONS: Between 2005 and 2016 the rate of AMVCs in California declined among Whites but not among Hispanics. Population-level indicators of percent Hispanic population, distance to the U.S. Mexico border, gender, age distribution, and socioeconomic stability were positively associated with crash rates, indicating that important contextual characteristics help determine the level of AMVC rates in communities.

Population-Based Correlates of Spatially Aggregated Drug-Related Arrests On and Off the U.S.-Mexico Border in California.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine drug-related arrest rates in California from 2005 to 2017 with a focus on the measurement of presumptive excess arrests across areas proximate to the U.S.-Mexico border. METHOD: Arrest data come from the Monthly Arrest and Citation Register (MACR) by the California Department of Justice. U.S. Census demographic population information, and alcohol outlet data from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, were aggregated at the level of 499 Law Enforcement Reporting Areas (LERA) that contributed to the MACR report. Multivariable analyses were conducted using hierarchical Bayesian Poisson spacetime models. RESULTS: Multivariable results showed that felony and misdemeanor arrests increased with distance from the U.S.-Mexico border (felony relative rate [RR] = 1.007, 95% CI [1.003, 1.010]; misdemeanor RR = 1.013, 95% CI [1.010, 1.016]) and were greater in areas with greater outlet concentrations (felony RR = 1.008, 95% CI [1.008, 1.008]; misdemeanor RR = 1.007, 95% CI [1.007, 1.007]) and a greater percentage of bars and pubs (felony RR = 1.031, 95% CI [1.030, 1.032]; misdemeanor RR = 1.052, 95% CI [1.051, 1.053]). Areas with greater Black populations had greater felony and fewer misdemeanor arrests (felony RR = 1.078, 95% CI [1.076, 1.079]; misdemeanor RR = 0.865, 95% CI [0.864, 0.867]). Areas with greater Hispanic populations had greater misdemeanor arrests (RR = 1.008, 95% CI [1.006, 1.009]). The percentage of off-premise outlets was inversely associated with misdemeanor arrest rates (RR = 0.995, 95% CI [0.994, 0.995]). CONCLUSIONS: Although arrest rates were substantively related to the racial composition of areas across California, there was no evidence of excess drug-related arrests along border areas.

Assessing the impacts of alcohol outlets on crime as a natural experiment: agglomeration, churning and spatial effects.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Retail alcohol outlets appear to open in neighborhoods with low land and structure rents near sources of demand; they may 'agglomerate', open near to one another or 'churn', replace one another, over time. We used the turnover in numbers of outlets over time to measure agglomeration and churning and the impacts of openings and closings of outlets on neighborhood crime. DESIGN: Interrupted quasi-experiments using spatial panel population data from 3768 synthetic block areas over 6 years. SETTING: City of Oakland, CA, USA. PARTICIPANTS: City population. MEASUREMENTS: Census-based socio-demographic estimates and counts of openings and closings of bars/pubs, restaurants and off-premises outlets related to assault, burglary and robbery crime incidents across synthetic Census blocks. Bayesian space-time models were used to assess agglomeration and churning and measure impacts of openings/closings on crime. FINDINGS: Churning was substantial; openings followed closings for all outlets [bars/pubs, relative risk (RR) = 50.9, 95% credible interval (CI) = 3.0-449.9; restaurants, RR = 3.1, CI = 1.5-6.1; off-premises, RR = 23.5, CI = 2.0-129.8]. Bars/pub and restaurant openings agglomerated with other outlets (e.g., RR = 1.02, CI = 1.00-1.03 and RR = 1.01, CI = 1.00-1.01), but off-premises outlets did not. Covarying out effects related to outlet densities, bar/pub openings were related to a 3.5% increase in assaults (RR = 1.04, CI = 1.01-1.06) and 6.9% increase in robberies (RR = 1.07, CI = 1.03-1.11). Restaurant openings were related to a 5.3% increase in burglaries (RR = 1.05, CI = 1.04-1.06). Openings and closings of off-premises outlets were unrelated to all three crime types. CONCLUSIONS: Retail alcohol outlets appear to follow a pattern of opening near to one another and replacing each other over time. Bar, pub and restaurant openings appear to be related to increases in neighborhood crime.

Ethnic density effect on alcohol-related hospitalizations among Chinese enclaves and ethnoburbs in California, 2007-2011.

INTRODUCTION: Research suggests there is an 'ethnic density effect' whereby racial/ethnic minority populations appear healthier when they reside in neighborhoods with greater numbers of people from the same ethnic group. The purpose of this study is to test whether this effect is observed for residents in Chinese enclaves (immigrant neighborhoods in urban areas) and ethnoburbs (immigrant neighborhoods in suburban areas) for measures on alcohol abuse and dependence. METHODS: ZIP code areas of California that represented Chinese enclaves and ethnoburbs were identified and mapped. Spatial regression models were used to compare neighborhood-level effects, including the ethnic density of Chinese enclaves and ethnoburbs on observed rates of alcohol-related hospitalizations compared to the rest of California. Analyses used Bayesian Space-Time Misalignment Poisson models on the annual number of alcohol-related hospitalizations per ZIP code for the years 2007-2011 (n = 8488 space-by-time units). RESULTS: Ethnic density effect appeared for residents of ZIP code areas with greater proportions of Chinese Americans (RR=0.986, 95% CI: 0.982, 0.990). After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, residents of ZIP code areas representing Chinese enclaves had lower risks for alcohol-related hospitalizations (RR=0.766, 95% CI: 0.630, 0.927); hospitalizations among residents of Chinese ethnoburbs no longer differed from the rest of the state. Compared to Chinese enclaves, Chinese ethnoburbs had a lower poverty rate (p < .001), a greater English fluency rate (p = .002), and similar proportions of residents who were Chinese and foreign-born. CONCLUSION: Despite the socioeconomic advantages of living in Chinese ethnoburbs, populations living in these neighborhoods experience more problems related to alcohol abuse and dependence.

Interrelationships of Economic Stressors, Mental Health Problems, Substance Use, and Intimate Partner Violence among Hispanic Emergency Department Patients: The Role of Language-Based Acculturation.

We analyzed the interrelationships of economic stressors, mental health problems, substance use, and intimate partner violence (IPV) among a sample of Hispanic emergency department patients and probed if Spanish language preference, which may represent low acculturation and/or immigrant status, had a protective effect, in accordance with the Hispanic health paradox. Study participants (n = 520; 50% female; 71% Spanish speakers) provided cross-sectional survey data. Gender-stratified logistic regression models were estimated for mental health problems (PTSD, anxiety, depression), substance use (risky drinking, cannabis, illicit drug use), and IPV. Results showed that economic stressors were linked with mental health problems among men and women. Among men, PTSD was associated with greater odds of cannabis and illicit drug use. Men who used cannabis and illicit drugs were more likely to report IPV. Male Spanish speakers had lower odds of anxiety and cannabis use than English speakers. Female Spanish speakers had lower odds of substance use and IPV than English speakers. The protective effect of Spanish language preference on some mental health, substance use, and IPV outcomes was more pronounced among women. Future research should identify the mechanisms that underlie the protective effect of Spanish language preference and explore factors that contribute to the observed gender differences.