Abstract
Significant increases in alcohol and tobacco taxes are among the most effective policies governments have for improving public health. Higher alcohol taxes reduce the prevalence, frequency, and intensity of drinking, 1 Wagenaar A.C. Salois M.J. Komro K.A. Effects of beverage alcohol price and tax levels on drinking: a meta-analysis of 1003 estimates from 112 studies. Addiction. 2009; 104: 179-190 Crossref PubMed Scopus (632) Google Scholar as well as the traffic crashes, liver cirrhosis, violence, and other health and social consequences of harmful drinking. 2 Wagenaar A.C. Tobler A.L. Komro K.A. Effects of alcohol tax and price policies on morbidity and mortality: a systematic review. Am J Public Health. 2010; 100: 2270-2278 Crossref PubMed Scopus (313) Google Scholar Likewise, increases in tobacco taxes promote cessation among adult users, prevent young people from taking up tobacco use, and reduce the death, disease, and economic consequences caused by tobacco. 3 International Agency for Research on CancerIARC handbooks of cancer prevention, tobacco control, Volume 14: the effectiveness of tax and price policies for tobacco control. IARC, Lyon, France2011 Google Scholar At the same time, increased taxes raise new revenues that can be used to support alcohol- and tobacco-control programs and other health promotion efforts, adding to their positive public health impact. 3 International Agency for Research on CancerIARC handbooks of cancer prevention, tobacco control, Volume 14: the effectiveness of tax and price policies for tobacco control. IARC, Lyon, France2011 Google Scholar , 4 Daley J.I. Stahre M.A. Chaloupka F.J. Naimi T.S. The impact of a 25-cent-per-drink alcohol tax increase. Am J Prev Med. 2012; 42: 382-389 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (25) Google Scholar However, governments in the U.S. and elsewhere often fail to maximize the public health benefits of alcohol and tobacco taxes, while drinkers, smokers, and other tobacco users use various strategies to avoid these taxes. The papers by Kerr and colleagues 5 Kerr W.C. Paterson D. Greenfield T.K. et al. U.S. alcohol affordability and real tax rates, 1950–2011. Am J Prev Med. 2013; 44: 459-464 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (28) Google Scholar and Xu and colleagues 6 Xu X. Pesko M.F. Tynan M.A. Gerzoff R.B. Malarcher A.M. Pechacek T.F. Cigarette price-minimization strategies by U.S. Smokers. Am J Prev Med. 2013; 44: 472-476 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (45) Google Scholar in this issue illustrate these problems. U.S. Alcohol Affordability and Real Tax Rates, 1950–2011American Journal of Preventive MedicineVol. 44Issue 5PreviewThe affordability of alcoholic beverages, determined by the relationship of prices to incomes, may be an important factor in relation to heavy drinking, but little is known about how affordability has changed over time. Full-Text PDF Cigarette Price-Minimization Strategies by U.S. SmokersAmerican Journal of Preventive MedicineVol. 44Issue 5PreviewSmokers may react to cigarette excise tax increases by engaging in price-minimization strategies (i.e., finding ways to reduce the cost of cigarette smoking) rather than by quitting or reducing their cigarette use, thereby reducing the public health benefits of such tax increases. Full-Text PDF
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