Laws limiting alcohol sales may have measurable public health effects
The authors say the "results have health implications relevant to people with and at risk for various types of cardiovascular disease." Alcohol is one of the most widely consumed drugs, and heart disease is the most common cause of death worldwide. Previous studies suggest that alcohol consumption may be associated with both a greater risk for some cardiovascular disease and lower risk for others, but these have mostly relied on self reported alcohol use, which is not necessarily reliable, and have generated conflicting results. So a team of researchers based at the University of California, San Francisco investigated the relation between alcohol consumption and cardiovascular disease by using differences in Texas county level alcohol sales laws. Texas is the most populous US state to enact laws restricting alcohol sales. A patchwork of counties exists where alcohol sales are allowed, known as 'wet counties', and some where such sales are restricted, known a...