Mortality of subjects with alcohol-related seizures increased after alcohol cheapening

Abstract

To investigate whether the reduction of alcohol prices in Finland (March 1, 2004) associated with an increase in mortality of subjects with alcohol-related seizures. All subjects with head trauma in Oulu University Hospital during 1999 (n = 827) were identified and thereafter followed up until death or the end of 2009. We used National Hospital Discharge Register, hospital charts, and death records from Official Cause-of-Death Statistics to identify seizure visits and alcohol-related deaths. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to characterize the effect of alcohol price reduction on risk of death. Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify independent predictors of death. Twenty-five subjects had alcohol-related seizures before the alcohol price reduction. Their cumulative mortality rate was significantly higher (P = 0.015) than that of other head trauma subjects during the follow-up and it clearly increased after the price reduction. Age (HR 1.06 per year, 95% CI 1.05-1.07, P < 0.001), moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (HR 2.04 95% CI 1.37-3.04, P < 0.001), and alcohol-related seizure (HR 3.02, 95% CI 1.48-6.16, P = 0.002) were independent predictors of death after adjustment for confounding factors. We conclude that the political decision to lower alcohol price associated with a significant increase in the mortality rate of subjects with alcohol-related seizures.