Regulating retail outlets for alcohol. Alcohol can be purchased through “off-premise” or “on-premise” sales. For off-premise sales, where alcohol is consumed elsewhere, regulations can be made on the type, strength and packaging of the alcoholic beverage and the time, costs and location of alcohol sales. For on-premise sales, where alcohol is consumed in the bar or café, regulations can specify drink sizes, disallow discount drink promotions or require on-premise staff to receive training in responsible beverage service. They may also regulate the design of the bar or café. A licence issued by a local or central administration is required in many countries before some types of alcoholic drinks can be sold, either on licensed premises or from off-licences. There are many reasons and benefits for licensing retail sales. One is to make sure that outlets observe other regulations such as age limits and opening times. Another is to ensure that tax is collected on every drop of alcohol sold. When the system is used to restrict the number of outlets, most often the aim is to prevent health and public order problems by limiting the alcohol supply. Licensing systems have also been used to control the standard of licensed premises, for instance to deny licences to places that are perceived to encourage harmful drinking and to grant licences to outlets that appear to encourage less harmful drinking...