Dec 23, 2014 08:02 PM EST By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

A new study links the density of both check-cashing places and alcohol outlets in a given neighborhood and the risk of premature death in people ages 20 to 59 years.

Researchers from St. Michael's Hospital found that the strategic placement of check-cashing places and alcohol outlets in certain areas may provide local residents with ready access to quick cash and/or the purchase of alcohol.

Dr. Flora Matheson, a medical sociologist and research scientist, said this is particularly true at the holiday season, when banks may be closed, people need money quickly and alcohol sales go up dramatically. The relation was stronger in men than in women.

For the study, researchers surveyed 140 neighborhoods in Toronto. They found that men had a 1.25 times greater risk of premature death in areas with high densities of check cashing places. They had a 1.36 times greater risk of premature death in areas with high densities of alcohol outlets - alcohol and beer stores and on-premise licensed facilities such as bars. The premature mortality rate was 96.3 for every 10,000 males and 55.9 for every 10,000 females ages 20-59 years.

The researchers noted that alcohol and check-cashing industries are often government-regulated, but individuals freely chose to use these facilities. While there is some compelling evidence around limiting the number of alcohol outlets and hours of operation, less is known about check-cashing places. They said this is the first study to examine the relation between check-cashing places and premature death.

One approach might be to offer money management services for people at risk of alcohol overuse, in whom addiction overwhelms all aspects of their lives. Since check-cashing places are often located where customers abound and where mental illness and self-neglect are more prevalent, people in those neighborhoods may need better support in formal banking, budget management and addiction counseling.

"Moreover, physicians, nurses, addiction counselors and social workers who help people with alcohol problems might use an individual's neighborhood as an indicator of their risk for health decline and even recommend relocation to an area with few CCPs and alcohol outlets," researcher  Dr. Joel Ray, said in a statement. "Residential relocation has been associated with a greater cessation of injection drug use."

The findings are published in the journal BMJ. 

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