Alcohol is a planning issue

Land use planning has long had a tentative approach to licensed premises. This is partly due to the presence of licensing authorities with specific statutory responsibilities, but partly it is due to perceptions among some decision-makers that health is not the mandate of planning. Nonetheless, planning decisions directly affect risks of alcohol-related harm and the social costs of this harm in terms of public health. This article shows the relevance of both proliferation of outlets and customer catchments, including those based on driving, to alcohol-related harm and to planning authorities' responsibilities to foster safe and healthy land use environments.