Private liquor stores bad for health: report

Alcohol-related deaths from such things as liver disease and car accidents, increased substantially after private liquor stores were introduced in British Columbia says a report from that province.

The report from the Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia raises concerns as P.E.I. moves forward with plans to open five new privately-operated stores in the province.

"The reality is, the evidence from all over the world, that availability -- physical ease of access and price -- are the things that most determine how much drinking goes on and then how much harm flows from that across the population," said report co-author Tim Stockwell.

Stockwell's research also showed privately-run stores are less stringent with enforcement.

The B.C. government has also found that since expanding private sales. In 2009, its mystery shopper program found 56 per cent of government-run stores checked for identification, but only 22 per cent of privately-run stores.

Rob Henderson, the minister responsible for liquor stores on P.E.I., said government will be keeping a close eye on the privately-run operations.

"We may put a few more restrictions to those rules that are out there currently to try to keep a better control on the dispensing of alcohol at agency store locations."

Henderson says the first of the new privately-run liquor store will be in Cavendish. The location has been selected, but Henderson won't say where it's going until the unsuccessful bidders are notified.