As expected, the density of general (pub) licenses was significantly related to rates of assault, and packaged liquor density was related to chronic disease. These results provide some support for Freisthler's routine-activity theory, with outlets associated with on-premise drinking (general licenses) linked to violence; outlets where the cheapest alcohol beverages were available were associated with diseases related to long-term heavy drinking; however, the significant relationships between packaged outlets and violence and between on-premise outlets and chronic disease were unexpected and do not fit into a single theoretical explanation. Although the author advises that study limitations suggest the findings should be viewed with caution, he concludes that the results provide further longitudinal evidence that alcohol-related problems in Melbourne, Australia, are associated with the density of alcohol outlets. Of particular concern are the findings for packaged liquor outlets, which were positively associated with both assaults and chronic alcohol-caused disease. The study methodology involved an analysis of trends in hospital admissions for assault and for alcohol-use disorders over a 14-year period for 186 hospitals in Melbourne, Australia. Hospital admission data were examined in relation to the trends in liquor outlet density and morbidity rates. 5 tables and 60 references