Dear David and ATHG listserv group: I too noted and clipped the NYT article. A fascinating piece. It will be interesting to see if a similar sort of tend holds up for France or the Paris region. Certainly, during the 19th century when the number of bars in Paris skyrocketed the murder rate did not keep pace. What has happened in the 20th century is the subject of my research now. It would be interesting to see what other scholars working on other nations think about whether a similar sort of trend is occurring outside of the USA. My feeling is that the article may be overstating the case even for America. But let us see what others think. Sincerely, Scott Haine