Alcohol Outlet Density Measurement Tools

CDC developed the following products to assist states and communities in measuring alcohol outlet density—a key risk factor for excessive drinking and alcohol-related harms.
CDC Guide for Measuring Alcohol Outlet Density
guide for measuring alcohol outlet density[PDF - 13 MB]

This guide discusses the importance of measuring alcohol outlet density and different approaches for doing so, along with their pros and cons. Contents include key issues that need to considered before measuring alcohol outlet density, the steps involved in performing this public health surveillance activity, various approaches to measuring alcohol outlet density, and general guidance from CDC for measuring alcohol outlet density.

CDC Alcohol Outlet Density Surveillance Toolkit
Outlet Density Surveillance Toolkit[PDF - 22 MB]

This toolkit, developed in partnership with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, provides steps for using several alcohol outlet density indicators for surveillance in states and local jurisdictions. It is a companion to the CDC Guide for Measuring Alcohol Outlet Density. This toolkit provides analytic code, screenshots, and guiding questions to help teams accomplish the six steps outlined in the Guide for Measuring Alcohol Outlet Density. It also adds a seventh step on visualization, reporting, and communication.

Sample code and Geographic Information System (GIS) screenshots for calculating four indicators of alcohol outlet density are available in the following two appendices that support the Measuring Alcohol Outlet Density Toolkit: