Alcohol outlets and youth alcohol use: exposure in suburban areas.

The purpose of this study was to explore how exposure to alcohol outlets (around home and school) influenced alcohol use among 242 high-school students (mean age 16.4, 48.8% male, 93.4% White). Results found no relationship between alcohol outlet exposure, using a measure of both distance to and density around students' homes and schools, and alcohol use. This study suggests that outlet exposure may not influence alcohol use among mostly White, middle-class, and suburban youth. However, the lack of association may also reflect the lower level of alcohol outlets present in low-density residential environments as well as differences in accessibility.