Alcohol licensing data: why is it an underused resource in public health?

Alcohol-related harm is related to alcohol availability. Due to complex regulatory and environmental factors, alcohol availability varies spatially. However, the extent of this variation is largely unknown in the UK, despite its potential influence on patterns of alcohol-related harm. We investigate why administrative data is underused in the study of alcohol-related harm in the UK. We found that local authorities routinely collect a rich supply of licensing data. However, this information is stored in databases that are sometimes difficult to access. With greater coordination between researchers and practitioners, this data can be used to fulfil its primary administrative purpose and also contribute to understanding and prevention of alcohol-related health and social problems.