1
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Trangenstein PJ, Mulia N, Lui CK, Karriker-Jaffe KJ, Greenfield TK, Jones-Webb R. Support for Alcohol Policies in Marginalized Populations. Alcohol Alcohol 2021; 56:500-509. [PMID: 33341875 PMCID: PMC8243274 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agaa130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Kingdon [(2014) Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies. Essex. United Kingdom: Pearson Education Limited] argues that windows of opportunity to pass policies emerge when problems, solutions and policy support co-occur. This study aims to identify a set of alcohol policies with the potential to reduce alcohol-related disparities given high levels of support from marginalized groups, such as racial/ethnic minorities and lower-income groups. METHODS This study used data from five US National Alcohol Surveys, which were based on household probability samples of adults in 1995 (n = 4243), 2000 (n = 5736), 2005 (n = 1445), 2010 (n = 4164) and 2015 (n = 4041). We used multiple logistic regression to determine the odds of policy support by racial/ethnic group and income level, considering price, place and marketing policies as well as individual-level interventions. RESULTS Overall a majority of Americans supported banning alcohol sales in corner stores (59.4%), banning alcohol advertisements on television (55.5%), and establishing universal health coverage for alcohol treatment (80.0%). Support was particularly high among Blacks, Hispanics/Latinos and lower-income persons. Multivariate models showed that compared with White people, foreign-born Hispanics/Latinos had the most robust levels of support, including raising alcohol taxes (aOR = 2.40, 95% CI: 2.00, 2.88, P < 0.0001), banning alcohol sales in corner stores (aOR = 2.85, 95% CI: 2.22, 3.65, P < 0.0001) and reducing retail sales hours (aOR = 2.91, 95% CI: 2.38, 3.55, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION Of the policies examined, banning alcohol sales at corner stores is most likely to be in a "window of opportunity" for reducing alcohol-related disparities. By simultaneously reducing population-level consumption and harms from others' drinking, place-based policies have the potential to reduce harms experienced by marginalized groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela J Trangenstein
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Health Behavior, 135 Dauer Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Nina Mulia
- Alcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute, 6001 Shellmound St., Suite 450, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Camillia K Lui
- Alcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute, 6001 Shellmound St., Suite 450, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Katherine J Karriker-Jaffe
- Alcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute, 6001 Shellmound St., Suite 450, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Thomas K Greenfield
- Alcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute, 6001 Shellmound St., Suite 450, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Rhonda Jones-Webb
- University of Minnesota, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, 300 West Bank Office Building, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA
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2
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Trolldal B, Landberg J, Ramstedt M. Changes in the Price of Alcohol and Effect on Youth Drinking and in Different Socio-Economic Groups. Alcohol Alcohol 2020; 56:475-481. [DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agaa114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Aims
Many studies have shown that changes in alcohol prices have a significant effect on total sales. However, few studies have focused on youth, particularly in different socioeconomic groups. This study examined the effect of changes in the price of alcohol on consumption levels and binge drinking among 15 to 16 year old students in Sweden, both overall, among boys and girls, as well as within different socioeconomic groups.
Methods
Data on consumption were retrieved from a representative survey of students aged 15-16, conducted annually between 1989 and 2017. Time series analysis employed an autoregressive integrated moving average model (ARIMA). Two types of price data were used: the official price at the retail stores, and the mean price of the ten cheapest beverages in each category. The mean aggregate annual income per Swedish household was included as a control variable.
The variable used to measure the socioeconomic status was the proportion of the ninth-grade students at each school, who had at least one parent with an education higher than upper secondary school.
Results
The students' alcohol consumption levels and binge drinking were not significantly affected by price changes during the study period; this was true both for the group as a whole, and among subgroups of boys or girls or of different socioeconomic status. Results were similar regardless of which type of price data variable was used in the analyses.
Conclusion
Neither average nor minimum price of alcohol had a significant impact on the development of youth drinking in Sweden during the study period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Trolldal
- Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAN), Östgötagatan 90, Stockholm SE-116 64, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm SE-171 77, Sweden
| | - Jonas Landberg
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm SE-171 77, Sweden
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Mats Ramstedt
- Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAN), Östgötagatan 90, Stockholm SE-116 64, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm SE-171 77, Sweden
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-106 91, Sweden
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3
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Zemore SE, Lui C, Mulia N. The Downward Spiral: Socioeconomic Causes and Consequences of Alcohol Dependence among Men in Late Young Adulthood, and Relations to Racial/Ethnic Disparities. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:669-678. [PMID: 31984509 PMCID: PMC7081966 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While young adults are generally at highest risk for alcohol problems, not all age out of problem drinking. Evidence suggests that Blacks and Latinos age out more slowly than Whites, particularly among men. Targeting men, we investigated whether differences in lifecourse SES might explain racial/ethnic disparities in alcohol dependence in late young adulthood, along with how experiencing alcohol dependence at that life stage relates to subsequent SES. METHODS We used longitudinal, national data to (i) describe racial/ethnic disparities in late young adult alcohol dependence criteria (LYADC), (ii) examine whether income trajectory in early young adulthood contributes to these racial/ethnic disparities, and (iii) test whether LYADC reciprocally predicts income trajectory in early midlife. Data were from the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (N = 3,993), which measured LYADC in 1994 (mean age = 33). Income trajectory classes were derived for early young adulthood (mean ages = 21 to 31) and, separately, early midlife (mean ages = 35 to 45). Analyses included negative binomial regressions and multinomial regressions. RESULTS Both Black and US-born Latino men reported more LYADC than White men. Further, membership in the persistently low and slow increase (vs. stable middle) early young adult income trajectory classes was associated with more LYADC. Multivariate analyses suggested that Black-White disparities in LYADC were explained by early young adult income trajectories, whereas Latino-White disparities in the same were explained by both early young adult income trajectories and early education. In controlled models, more LYADC predicted a higher likelihood of membership in the persistently low (vs. stable middle) income trajectory class in early midlife. CONCLUSIONS This study found that poorer SES in early adulthood contributes to alcohol dependence, which reciprocally contributes to poorer SES in early midlife. This cycle appears particularly likely to affect Black and US-born Latino men. Results underline the need to address socioeconomic factors in addressing racial/ethnic disparities in alcohol problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Zemore
- From the, Alcohol Research Group, Emeryville, California
| | - Camillia Lui
- From the, Alcohol Research Group, Emeryville, California
| | - Nina Mulia
- From the, Alcohol Research Group, Emeryville, California
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Calling S, Ohlsson H, Sundquist J, Sundquist K, Kendler KS. Socioeconomic status and alcohol use disorders across the lifespan: A co-relative control study. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224127. [PMID: 31622449 PMCID: PMC6797188 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Alcohol use disorders (AUD) is well known to aggregate in families and is associated with socioeconomic status (SES). The objective was to study the effect of education, income and neighborhood SES in adulthood on AUD, and to explore whether the potential associations were confounded by shared familial factors, by using a co-relative control design. Methods Data on AUD was drawn from the Swedish inpatient and outpatient care registers; prescription drug register; and crime data. Through national population registers we collected information on income, education and neighborhood SES at age 25, 30, 35 and 40 years in all individuals born in Sweden between 1950 and 1980. Each sex-specific stratum consisted of approximately 750,000–1,200,000 individuals, who were followed for AUD for a mean follow-up time ranging between 10 and 15 years until the end of 2013. Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate the risk of AUD as a function of income, education and neighborhood SES in the general population and in pairs of first cousins and full siblings within the same sex, who differed in their exposure to the SES measure. Results Higher educational level, higher income and higher neighborhood SES were all associated with a reduced risk for AUD for both males and females in all ages. The potentially protective effect remained but was attenuated when comparing pairs of first cousins and full siblings. Conclusions High educational level and income in adulthood, as well as high neighborhood socioeconomic status, may represent protective factors against alcohol use disorders, even when shared familial factors, e.g. childhood socioeconomic status and genetic factors, have been taken into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Calling
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Henrik Ohlsson
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Jan Sundquist
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Kristina Sundquist
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Kenneth S. Kendler
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
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5
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Zemore SE, Karriker-Jaffe KJ, Mulia N, Kerr WC, Ehlers CL, Cook WK, Martinez P, Lui C, Greenfield TK. The Future of Research on Alcohol-Related Disparities Across U.S. Racial/Ethnic Groups: A Plan of Attack. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 2018; 79:7-21. [PMID: 29227222 DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2018.79.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Research suggests striking disparities in alcohol use, problems, and treatment across racial/ethnic groups in the United States. However, research on alcohol-related disparities affecting racial/ethnic minorities remains in its developmental stages. The current article aims to support future research in this growing field by highlighting some of the most important findings, questions, and approaches, focusing on psychosocial research. METHOD This article advances seven research needs (i.e., questions and topics meriting attention) that we believe are of crucial importance to the field. We draw on the existing literature to illuminate under-explored areas that are highly relevant to health intervention and that complement the field's existing focus. RESULTS Identified research needs include research that (a) better describes disparities in alcohol-related health conditions and their drivers, (b) identifies appropriate screening and brief intervention methods for racial/ethnic minorities, (c) investigates disparities in access to and use of alcohol treatment and support services, (d) examines the comparative efficacy of existing alcohol interventions and develops tailored interventions, (e) explores the impacts of specific alcohol policies across and within racial/ethnic groups, and (f) describes the full spectrum of alcohol-related harms and how and why these may vary across racial/ethnic groups. We also call for (g) continuing research to monitor disparities over time. CONCLUSIONS This article points to specific strategies for describing, explaining, intervening on, and monitoring some of the most substantial alcohol-related disparities. Conclusions outline methods and processes that may be advantageous in addressing these priorities, including the use of longitudinal designs; consideration of life course changes; attention to nontraditional intervention settings; and inclusion of disadvantaged populations in all aspects of research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nina Mulia
- Alcohol Research Group, Emeryville, California
| | | | - Cindy L Ehlers
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California
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6
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Karriker-Jaffe KJ, Ohlsson H, Kendler KS, Cook WK, Sundquist K. Alcohol Availability and Onset and Recurrence of Alcohol Use Disorder: Examination in a Longitudinal Cohort with Cosibling Analysis. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2018; 42:1105-1112. [PMID: 29667198 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent reviews of associations of alcohol availability with alcohol outcomes suggest findings are highly inconsistent and highlight a lack of longitudinal and causal evidence. Effect modification (moderation or statistical interaction), which could contribute to the inconsistent picture in the existing literature, has not been systematically assessed. We examined associations of alcohol availability with onset and recurrence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) using multilevel, longitudinal population data from Sweden and tested hypothesized effect modifiers to identify groups for whom increased alcohol availability may be particularly risky. We also employed cosibling models to assess potential causality for AUD onset by accounting for genetic and shared-environment confounders. METHODS Data come from all individuals born in Sweden between 1950 and 1975 who were registered in a residential neighborhood at the end of 2005 (N = 2,633,922). We used Cox proportional hazards models to investigate time to AUD onset and logistic regression to assess the odds of AUD recurrence over an 8-year period. RESULTS Living in a neighborhood with at least 1 alcohol outlet of any type was associated with a small increase in the likelihood of developing AUD, with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.16 (95% CI: 1.13 to 1.19). Among people with a prior AUD registration, alcohol availability was not significantly associated with recurrence of AUD, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.02 (95% CI: 1.00 to 1.05). Associations of alcohol availability with AUD onset varied according to sex, age, education, neighborhood deprivation, and urbanicity. HRs from the sibling models were similar to those in the general population models, with an adjusted HR = 1.19 (95% CI: 1.15 to 1.24). CONCLUSIONS Effects varied among neighborhood residents, but greater alcohol availability was a risk factor for AUD onset (but not relapse) in all groups examined except women. Cosibling models suggest there may be a causal relationship of greater alcohol availability with adult-onset AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Henrik Ohlsson
- Center for Primary Health Care Research , Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Kenneth S Kendler
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics , Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.,Department of Psychiatry , Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.,Department of Human and Molecular Genetics , Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Won Kim Cook
- Alcohol Research Group , Public Health Institute, Emeryville, California
| | - Kristina Sundquist
- Center for Primary Health Care Research , Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
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7
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Herttua K, Östergren O, Lundberg O, Martikainen P. Influence of affordability of alcohol on educational disparities in alcohol-related mortality in Finland and Sweden: a time series analysis. J Epidemiol Community Health 2017; 71:1168-1176. [PMID: 29061845 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2017-209636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prices of alcohol and income tend to influence how much people buy and consume alcohol. Price and income may be combined into one measure, affordability of alcohol. Research on the association between affordability of alcohol and alcohol-related harm is scarce. Furthermore, no research exists on how this association varies across different subpopulations. We estimated the effects of affordability of alcohol on alcohol-related mortality according to gender and education in Finland and Sweden. METHODS Vector-autoregressive time series modelling was applied to the quarter-annual aggregations of alcohol-related deaths and affordability of alcohol in Finland in 1988-2007 and in Sweden in 1991-2008. Alcohol-related mortality was defined using information on both underlying and contributory causes of death. We calculated affordability of alcohol index using information on personal taxable income and prices of various types of alcohol. RESULTS Among Finnish men with secondary education, an increase of 1% in the affordability of total alcohol was associated with an increase of 0.028% (95% CI 0.004 to 0.053) in alcohol-related mortality. Similar associations were also found for affordability for various types of alcohol and for beer only in the lowest education group. We found few other significant positive associations for other subpopulations in Finland or Sweden. However, reverse associations were found among secondary-educated Swedish women. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the associations between affordability of alcohol and alcohol-related mortality were relatively weak. Increased affordability of total alcoholic beverages was associated with higher rates of alcohol-related mortality only among Finnish men with secondary education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimmo Herttua
- Department of Public Health, Centre of Maritime Health and Society, University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark.,Department of Social Research, Population Research Unit, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Olof Östergren
- Centre for Health Equity Studies, Stockholm University and Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Olle Lundberg
- Centre for Health Equity Studies, Stockholm University and Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pekka Martikainen
- Department of Social Research, Population Research Unit, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Centre for Health Equity Studies, Stockholm University and Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany
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8
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Sadler S, Angus C, Gavens L, Gillespie D, Holmes J, Hamilton J, Brennan A, Meier P. Understanding the alcohol harm paradox: an analysis of sex- and condition-specific hospital admissions by socio-economic group for alcohol-associated conditions in England. Addiction 2017; 112:808-817. [PMID: 27981670 DOI: 10.1111/add.13726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS In many countries, conflicting gradients in alcohol consumption and alcohol-associated mortality have been observed. To understand this 'alcohol harm paradox' we analysed the socio-economic gradient in alcohol-associated hospital admissions to test whether it was greater in conditions which were: (1) chronic (associated with long-term drinking) and partially alcohol-attributable, (2) chronic and wholly alcohol-attributable, (3) acute (associated with intoxication) and partially alcohol-attributable and (4) acute and wholly alcohol-attributable. Our aim was to clarify how (1) drinking patterns (e.g. intoxication linked to acute admissions or dependence linked to chronic conditions) and (2) non-alcohol causes (e.g. smoking and poor diet which are risks for partially alcohol-attributable conditions) contribute to the paradox. DESIGN Regression analysis testing the modifying effects of condition-group (1-4 above) and sex on the relationship between area-based deprivation and admissions. SETTING England, April 2010-March 2013. PARTICIPANTS A total of 9 239 629 English hospital admissions where a primary or secondary cause was one of 36 alcohol-associated conditions. MEASUREMENTS Admissions by condition and deciles of Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). Socio-economic gradient measured as the relative index of inequality (RII, the slope of a linear regression of IMD on admissions adjusted for overall admission rate). Conditions were categorized by ICD-10 code. FINDINGS A socio-economic gradient in hospitalizations was seen for all conditions, except partially attributable chronic conditions. The gradient was significantly steeper for conditions which were wholly attributable to alcohol and for acute conditions than for conditions partially alcohol-attributable and for chronic conditions. Gradients were steeper for men than for women in cases of wholly alcohol attributable conditions. CONCLUSIONS There is a socio-economic gradient in English hospital admission for most alcohol-associated conditions. The greatest inequalities are in conditions associated with alcohol dependence, such as liver disease and mental and behavioural conditions, and in acute conditions, such as alcohol poisoning and assault. Socio-economic differences in harmful drinking patterns (dependence and intoxication) may contribute to the 'alcohol harm paradox'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susannah Sadler
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Colin Angus
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Lucy Gavens
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Duncan Gillespie
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - John Holmes
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Jean Hamilton
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Alan Brennan
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Petra Meier
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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9
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Alcohol prices, taxes, and alcohol-related harms: A critical review of natural experiments in alcohol policy for nine countries. Health Policy 2016; 120:264-72. [PMID: 26861971 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2016.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Revised: 01/06/2016] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Evidence for alcohol-price policy relies heavily on aggregate econometric studies for the United States. Prior reviews of prices and alcohol-related harms include only a few studies based on natural experiments. This study provides a comprehensive review of natural experiments for a wide variety of harms from studies published during 2003 to 2015. We examine policy changes that importantly affected alcohol taxes and prices, and related changes in availability. METHODS Forty-five studies met inclusion criteria, covering nine countries: Australia, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Iceland, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, and United States. Some studies cover more than one harm or country, and there are 69 outcomes for review. Summaries are provided for five outcome groups: alcohol-related mortality and hospitalizations; assaults and other crime; drink-driving; intoxication; and survey-indexes for dependency. The review notes both positive/mixed results and negative/null results. RESULTS Findings indicate that changes in taxes and prices have selective effects on harms. Mortality outcomes are positive for liver disease and older persons, especially in Finland and Russia. Mostly null results for assaults and drink-driving are found for five countries. Intoxication results for Nordic countries are mixed for selective subpopulations. Results for survey indexes are mixed, with no strong pattern of outcomes within or across countries. CONCLUSION Prior reviews stress taxes as a comprehensive and cost-effective intervention for addressing alcohol-related harms. A review of natural experiments indicates the confidence placed on this measure is too high, and natural experiments in alcohol policy had selective effects on various subpopulations.
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Seid AK, Grittner U, Greenfield TK, Bloomfield K. To Cause Harm and to be Harmed by Others: New Perspectives on Alcohol's Harms to Others. SUBSTANCE ABUSE-RESEARCH AND TREATMENT 2015; 9:13-22. [PMID: 26512203 PMCID: PMC4603526 DOI: 10.4137/sart.s23506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Revised: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine how sociodemographic factors and alcohol consumption are related to a four-way typology of causing harm to others and/or being harmed by others’ and one’s own drinking. DATA AND METHODS Data from the 2011 Danish national survey (n = 2,569) were analyzed with multi nomial logistic regression. RESULTS Younger age and heavy drinking were significant correlates of both causing harm and being harmed. Women and better educated respondents were more likely to report negative effects on relationship and family from another’s drinking. Better educated respondents had higher risks for work, financial, or injury harms from another’s drinking. Mean alcohol consumption and risky single occasion drinking were related to both causing harm and being harmed from one’s own drinking. CONCLUSIONS Drinking variables were the strongest correlates of causing harm and being harmed. Efforts to reduce risky drinking may also help reduce exposures to collateral harm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdu K Seid
- Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, University of Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ulrike Grittner
- Institute for Biometrics and Clinical Epidemiology, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Kim Bloomfield
- Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, University of Aarhus, Denmark ; Institute for Biometrics and Clinical Epidemiology, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Germany ; Alcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
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11
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Mäkelä P, Herttua K, Martikainen P. The Socioeconomic Differences in Alcohol-Related Harm and the Effects of Alcohol Prices on Them: A Summary of Evidence from Finland. Alcohol Alcohol 2015; 50:661-9. [PMID: 26113490 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agv068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS We make a case study of Finland to study the connections between socioeconomic status, alcohol use, related harm and possibilities for intervention by means of alcohol pricing. METHODS A review of Finnish studies on the topic. RESULTS The socioeconomic differences in severe alcohol-related harm were great, and in the past two decades, these differences have widened. Alcohol-related mortality has also strongly contributed to both the level and widening of socioeconomic differences in life expectancy. Both in 2004, when alcohol prices were abruptly cut, and in the longer term with more gradual changes in lowest prices of alcohol, the lowest socioeconomic groups were most affected in absolute-but not so clearly in relative-terms, particularly among men. However, these effects are sometimes weak, not fully consistent by gender and across different measures of harm. CONCLUSIONS The large and increasing socioeconomic differences in alcohol-related harm in Finland underline the importance of reducing these differences. The finding that particularly among men the impact of reduced alcohol prices on health has often in absolute terms been the greatest in the lower socioeconomic groups suggests that policies aimed at keeping the price of alcoholic beverages high may help to both minimize the overall level of alcohol-related health problems and to reduce absolute inequalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Mäkelä
- Alcohol and Drugs Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kimmo Herttua
- Population Research Unit, Department of Social Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Centre of Maritime Health and Society, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark
| | - Pekka Martikainen
- Population Research Unit, Department of Social Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany
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