TY - JOUR
T1 - Minimum alcohol prices and outlet densities in British Columbia, Canada
T2 - Estimated impacts on alcohol-attributable hospital admissions
AU - Stockwell, Tim
AU - Zhao, Jinhui
AU - Martin, Gina
AU - Macdonald, Scott
AU - Vallance, Kate
AU - Treno, Andrew
AU - Ponicki, William
AU - Tu, Andrew
AU - Buxton, Jane
PY - 2013/11
Y1 - 2013/11
N2 - Objectives. We investigated whether periodic increases in minimum alcohol prices were associated with reduced alcohol-attributable hospital admissions in British Columbia. Methods. The longitudinal panel study (2002-2009) incorporated minimum alcohol prices, density of alcohol outlets, and age- and gender-standardized rates of acute, chronic, and 100% alcohol-attributable admissions. We applied mixed-method regression models to data from 89 geographic areas of British Columbia across 32 time periods, adjusting for spatial and temporal autocorrelation, moving average effects, season, and a range of economic and social variables. Results. A 10% increase in the average minimum price of all alcoholic beverages was associated with an 8.95% decrease in acute alcohol-attributable admissions and a 9.22% reduction in chronic alcohol-attributable admissions 2 years later. A Can $ 0.10 increase in average minimum price would prevent 166 acute admissions in the 1st year and 275 chronic admissions 2 years later. We also estimated significant, though smaller, adverse impacts of increased private liquor store density on hospital admission rates for all types of alcoholattributable admissions. Conclusions. Significant health benefits were observed when minimum alcohol prices in British Columbia were increased. By contrast, adverse health outcomes were associated with an expansion of private liquor stores.
AB - Objectives. We investigated whether periodic increases in minimum alcohol prices were associated with reduced alcohol-attributable hospital admissions in British Columbia. Methods. The longitudinal panel study (2002-2009) incorporated minimum alcohol prices, density of alcohol outlets, and age- and gender-standardized rates of acute, chronic, and 100% alcohol-attributable admissions. We applied mixed-method regression models to data from 89 geographic areas of British Columbia across 32 time periods, adjusting for spatial and temporal autocorrelation, moving average effects, season, and a range of economic and social variables. Results. A 10% increase in the average minimum price of all alcoholic beverages was associated with an 8.95% decrease in acute alcohol-attributable admissions and a 9.22% reduction in chronic alcohol-attributable admissions 2 years later. A Can $ 0.10 increase in average minimum price would prevent 166 acute admissions in the 1st year and 275 chronic admissions 2 years later. We also estimated significant, though smaller, adverse impacts of increased private liquor store density on hospital admission rates for all types of alcoholattributable admissions. Conclusions. Significant health benefits were observed when minimum alcohol prices in British Columbia were increased. By contrast, adverse health outcomes were associated with an expansion of private liquor stores.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84882807952&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301289
DO - 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301289
M3 - Journal Article
C2 - 23597383
AN - SCOPUS:84882807952
SN - 0090-0036
VL - 103
SP - 2014
EP - 2020
JO - American Journal of Public Health
JF - American Journal of Public Health
IS - 11
ER -