Alcohol availability, alcoholic beverage sales and alcohol-related problems.

A theoretical integration and an empirical test of the sociocultural model and the distribution of consumption model of alcohol problems is made for 51 California counties. In the counties of California, the kinds and number of outlets of alcoholic beverages are differentially related to the social area characteristics and to arrest rates for public drunkenness, misdemeanor and felony drunken-driving arrest rates and cirrhosis mortality rates.