Lay summary
Alcohol consumption accounts for 5.4% of deaths and 6.5% of disability-adjusted life years lost annually in New Zealand. The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act (2012), introduced to reduce alcohol-related harm, comes into full effect in 2014. The Act eschews many effective, centralised strategies (e.g., increasing tax on alcohol), instead aiming to give communities more say on where and when alcohol is sold in their area, via the option of developing Local Alcohol Policies. The proposed research will use surveys, key informant interviews and administrative data to evaluate community uptake of the new opportunities provided by the legislation and the impact they have on alcohol availability, hazardous drinking and related harm. The results will evaluate whether the new law meets its explicit public health objectives and will contribute to the evidence base underpinning the development of policy aimed at reducing alcohol-related injury and disease in New Zealand and other countries.