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WHY USE GIS TO LOOK AT ALCOHOL-RELATED PROBLEMS?

The biopsychosocial model of alcohol use/abuse must include spatial factors to fully account for the social component (Wieczorek and Hanson 1997). GIS aids studies of cultural differences in alcohol use by comparing neighborhoods(Wieczorek and Hanson 1997).

The geographic and spatial characteristics of alcohol outlets must be used to effectively plan community prevention programs (Millar and Gruenewald 1997, Wieczorek and Hanson 1997). Research has supported an association between alcohol outlet density and alcohol-related vehicle crashes (Wieczorek and Hanson 1997).GIS can show associations between crime and types of alcohol vendors and show how drinking and driving is influenced by availability of alcohol.

The relationship between geographic factors and alcohol-related problems can be elucidated using GIS (Wieczorek and Hanson 1997). ArcView GIS also now has a Crime Analysis extension that provides tools for geographic crime analysis (Pratt).

WHAT CAN GIS DO?

GIS can perform a geocoding function, linking data (such as an alcohol-related motor vehicle accident) to a geographical reference (such as an intersection or liquor store) with specific x- and y-coordinates.

GIS can combine layers of information onto a single map for a geographic area.

GIS can measure the distance between points, determine whether areas are adjacent, and find the length of shared boundaries (Wieczorek and Hanson 1997).

Below is a map of alcohol-involved crash locations for Taos, New Mexico, that was created using GIS. Such maps can be used for accident prevention planning and other evaluation.

Image courtesy of the Division of Government Research at the University of New Mexico