Prevalence of alcohol’s harm to others in the context of changing alcohol control policies in Lithuania in 2015 and 2020

Abstract

Alcohol’s harm to others (AHTO) has gained increased research attention, yet little information is available on how it is influenced by changes in alcohol policies. The aim of this study is to examine the changes in the prevalence of AHTO over the period 2015 and 2020 in the context of alcohol policy reform in Lithuania. The reform included a set of policies including increased prices, reduced availability, and advertising ban. Data came from the two cross-sectional Standard European Alcohol Surveys conducted in September-October 2015 (N = 1513) and August-September 2020 (N = 1015) in Lithuania. The first survey was conducted in 2015 just before the new alcohol control policies were implemented. We found the respondents who reported at least one harm in response to AHTO questions decreased from 76.7%, in 2015 to 68.3%, in 2020 (p < .01). Furthermore, changes in AHTO varied a lot in different socio-demographic groups. New alcohol policy measures seem to have contributed to the decrease of some types of AHTO in the adult general population over a 5-year period. Harm prevention policies should take into consideration variations in the prevalence of alcohol’s harm to others by gender, age group, and place of residence.