Effects of alcohol tax and price policies on morbidity and mortality: A systematic review

A.C. Wagenaar, A.L. Tobler and K.A. Komro

American Journal of Public Health, 2010, vol. 100, issue 11, 2270-2278

Abstract: Objectives. We systematically reviewed the effects of alcohol taxes and prices on alcohol-related morbidity and mortality to assess their public health impact. Methods. We searched 12 databases, along with articles reference lists, for studies providing estimates of the relationship between alcohol taxes and prices and measures of risky behavior or morbidity and mortality, then coded for effect sizes and numerous population and study characteristics. We combined independent estimates in random-effects models to obtain aggregate effect estimates. Results. We identified 50 articles, containing 340 estimates. Meta-estimates ere r=-0.347 for alcohol-related disease and injury outcomes, -0.022 for iolence, -0.048 for suicide, -0.112 for traffic crash outcomes, -0.055 for sexuallytransmitted diseases, -0.022 for other drug use, and -0.014 for crime and other misbehavior measures. All except suicide were statistically significant. Conclusions. Public policies affecting the price of alcoholic beverages have significant effects on alcohol-related disease and injury rates. Our results suggest that doubling the alcohol tax would reduce alcohol-related mortality by an average of 35%, traffic crash deaths by 11%, sexually transmitted disease by 6%, violence by 2%, and crime by 1.4%.

Date: 2010
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (45)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.2105/AJPH.2009.186007

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2009.186007_1

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2009.186007

Access Statistics for this article

American Journal of Public Health is currently edited by Alfredo Morabia

More articles in American Journal of Public Health from American Public Health Association
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Christopher F Baum ().