New Study: Increasing Alcohol Taxes Saves Lives, Reduces Crime
Each week, the Higher Education Center showcases recent developments in the field of AOD abuse and violence prevention in higher education that may include new data and resources, upcoming events and programs, funding opportunities, and learning opportunities. To see a listing of previous This Week! features, visit the This Week! archive.
December 17, 2010
Health policy researchers at the University of Florida in Gainesville analyzed data from 50 studies examining the relationship between alcohol taxes, mortality, and risky behaviors. Findings showed that a 50 percent alcohol tax increase could effectively reduce alcohol-related mortality by 35 percent, automobile fatalities by 11 percent, STD rates by 6 percent, violence by 2 percent, and crime by 1.4 percent. Researchers concluded that the relatively small increase in price could reduce intake among heavy drinkers on tight budgets, college students, and social drinkers.
Results are published in the American Journal of Public Health.
Wagenaar, A. C. et al. “Effects of Alcohol Tax and Price Policies on Morbidity and Mortality: A Systematic Review.” American Journal of Public Health 100(11): 2270–2278, 2010.