Alcopops, taxation and harm: a segmented time series analysis of emergency department presentations

BMC Public Health

Research Article

Joshua Byrnes¹  Anthony Shakeshaft²  David J Muscatello³  Patricia Morton⁴  Michelle Cretikos⁴  Marianne Gale⁵  Paul Haber⁶  Michael Dinh⁶  Andrew Hayen⁷  Chandini Raina MacIntyre⁷ 

[1] Centre for Applied Health Economics School of Medicine, Griffith University, 4131, Meadowbrook, QLD, Australia;National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, 2052, Sydney, NSW, Australia;New South Wales Ministry of Health and School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, 73 Miller Street, 2060, North Sydney, NSW, Australia;New South Wales Ministry of Health, 73 Miller Street, 2060, North Sydney, NSW, Australia;Public Health Officer Training Program, New South Wales Ministry of Health and School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, 73 Miller Street, 2060, North Sydney, NSW, Australia;Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Missenden Road, 2050, Camperdown, NSW, Australia;School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, 2052, Sydney, NSW, Australia;

关键词: Alcohol harm;    Alcopops;    ‘Ready-to-drink alcohol’;    RTDs;    Alcohol taxation;    Emergency department presentations;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-015-1769-3

 received in 2014-09-21, accepted in 2015-04-21,  发布年份 2015

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundIn Australia, a Goods and Services Tax (GST) introduced in 2000 led to a decline in the price of ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages relative to other alcohol products. The 2008 RTD (“alcopops”) tax increased RTD prices. The objective of this study was to estimate the change in incidence of Emergency Department (ED) presentations for acute alcohol problems associated with each tax.MethodsSegmented regression analyses were performed on age and sex-specific time series of monthly presentation rates for acute alcohol problems to 39 hospital emergency departments across New South Wales, Australia over 15 years, 1997 to 2011. Indicator variables represented the introduction of each tax. Retail liquor turnover controlled for large-scale economic factors such as the global financial crisis that may have influenced demand. Under-age (15–17 years) and legal age (18 years and over) drinkers were included.ResultsThe GST was associated with a statistically significant increase in ED presentations for acute alcohol problems among 18–24 year old females (0 · 14/100 000/month, 95% CI 0 · 05-0 · 22). The subsequent alcopops tax was associated with a statistically significant decrease in males 15–50 years, and females 15–65 years, particularly in 18–24 year old females (−0 · 37/100 000/month, 95% CI −0 · 45 to −0 · 29). An increase in retail turnover of liquor was positively and statistically significantly associated with ED presentations for acute alcohol problems across all age and sex strata.ConclusionsReduced tax on RTDs was associated with increasing ED presentations for acute alcohol problems among young women. The alcopops tax was associated with declining presentations in young to middle-aged persons of both sexes, including under-age drinkers.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Gale et al.; licensee BioMed Central. 2015