Sales Of Spirits Research Articles

Association between non-medical cannabis legalization and alcohol sales: Quasi-experimental evidence from Canada

BackgroundThere is increasing interest in understanding the impact of non-medical cannabis legalization on use of other substances, especially alcohol. Evidence on whether cannabis is a substitute or complement for alcohol is both mixed and limited. This study provides the first quasi-experimental evidence on the impact of Canada’s legalization of non-medical cannabis on beer and spirits sales. MethodsWe used the interrupted time series design and monthly data on beer sales between January 2012 and February 2020 and spirits sales between January 2016 and February 2020 across Canada to investigate changes in beer and spirits sales following Canada’s cannabis legalization in October 2018. We examined changes in total sales, nationally and in individual provinces, as well as changes in sales of bottled, canned and kegged beer. ResultsCanada-wide beer sales fell by 96 hectoliters per 100,000 population (p=0.011) immediately after non-medical cannabis legalization and by 4 hectoliters per 100,000 population (p>0.05) each month thereafter for an average monthly reduction of 136 hectoliters per 100,000 population (p<0.001) post-legalization. However, the legalization was associated with no change in spirits sales. Beer sales reduced in all provinces except the Atlantic provinces. By beer type, the legalization was associated with declines in sales of canned and kegged beer but there was no reduction in sales of bottled beer. ConclusionsNon-medical cannabis legalization was associated with a decline in beer sales in Canada, suggesting substitution of non-medical cannabis for beer. However, there was no change in spirits sales following the legalization.

Three years of minimum unit pricing in the Northern Territory, what does the evidence say?

Three years of minimum unit pricing in the Northern Territory, what does the evidence say?

Changes in Distilled Spirits Sales and Preferences During COVID-19.

COVID-19 and the associated policies created a large shift in alcohol sales. A change in availability and consumer preferences caused a shift from wholesale to retail sales in many areas. This study estimates the magnitude of the changes in wholesale and retail sales, and the persistence of these changes. Highly detailed sales data are used to analyze trends in distilled spirts sales during the COVID-19 pandemic in the state of Idaho. A total of 810,000 unique observations that cover 58 types of distilled spirts are used in a regression analysis to find the determinants of distilled spirts sales. In March 2020, there was a 27.2% increase in sales compared with the previous March because of a 42.3% increase in retail sales and a 41.1% decrease in wholesale sales. Increased sales continued until August 2020. The regression analysis shows changes in demand during 2020 varied by the type of distilled spirits; demand increased more for distilled spirts types with higher ethanol early in March 2020, but from April to July demand increased more for expensive distilled spirts with a lower ethanol level. Examination of the types of distilled spirts purchased during the early stages of the pandemic shows us that consumers bought different types of distilled spirts for various characteristics, such as price and ethanol level. We find that consumers initially purchased cheap distilled spirts with high alcohol content. By August, distilled spirts sales were similar to previous years. These results will be useful to policymakers in determining the effects of distilled spirts restrictions.

Human mobility data and machine learning reveal geographic differences in alcohol sales and alcohol outlet visits across U.S. states during COVID-19.

As many U.S. states implemented stay-at-home orders beginning in March 2020, anecdotes reported a surge in alcohol sales, raising concerns about increased alcohol use and associated ills. The surveillance report from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism provides monthly U.S. alcohol sales data from a subset of states, allowing an investigation of this potential increase in alcohol use. Meanwhile, anonymized human mobility data released by companies such as SafeGraph enables an examination of the visiting behavior of people to various alcohol outlets such as bars and liquor stores. This study examines changes to alcohol sales and alcohol outlet visits during COVID-19 and their geographic differences across states. We find major increases in the sales of spirits and wine since March 2020, while the sales of beer decreased. We also find moderate increases in people's visits to liquor stores, while their visits to bars and pubs substantially decreased. Noticing a significant correlation between alcohol sales and outlet visits, we use machine learning models to examine their relationship and find evidence in some states for likely panic buying of spirits and wine. Large geographic differences exist across states, with both major increases and decreases in alcohol sales and alcohol outlet visits.

Evaluating the impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) on off-trade alcohol sales in Scotland: an interrupted time-series study.

On 1 May 2018, Scotland became the first country in the world to introduce minimum unit pricing (MUP), a strength-based floor price below which alcohol cannot be sold, across all alcoholic beverages. The legislation contains a sunset clause meaning a comprehensive mixed-methods evaluation of its impact across a range of outcomes will inform whether it will continue beyond its sixth year. In this study, we assessed the impact of MUP on off-trade alcohol sales (as a proxy for consumption) after its first year. Controlled interrupted time-series regression was used to assess the impact of MUP on alcohol sales among off-trade retailers in Scotland in the year after it was introduced, with England and Wales (EW) being the control group. In adjusted analyses, we included household disposable income, on-trade alcohol sales and substitution between beverage categories as covariates. Weekly data on the volume of pure alcohol sold by off-trade retailers in Scotland and EW between January 2013 and May 2019, expressed as litres of pure alcohol per adult. The introduction of MUP in Scotland was associated with a 3.5% [95% confidence interval (CI)=2.2-4.9%] reduction in off-trade alcohol sales per adult after adjustment for the best available geographical control, disposable income and substitution. In unadjusted analysis, the introduction of MUP was associated with a 2.0% (95% CI=0.4-3.6%) reduction in off-trade alcohol sales per adult in Scotland. In EW, there was a 2.4% (95% CI=0.8-4.0%) increase during the same time-period. The reduction in off-trade alcohol sales in Scotland was driven by reduced sales of spirits, cider and perry beverage categories. The implementation of minimum unit pricing for alcohol in Scotland in 2018 appears to have been associated with a reduction in off-trade alcohol sales after its first year.

Alcohol policy effects on 100% chronic alcohol-attributable mortality across racial/ethnic subgroups

In the United States, some racial/ethnic minorities suffer from higher rates of chronic alcohol problems, and alcohol-related morbidity and mortality than Whites. Furthermore, state-level alcohol policies may affect racial/ethnic subgroups differentially. We investigate effects of beverage-specific taxes and government control of spirits retail on alcohol-related mortality among non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Blacks, non-Hispanic American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) and Hispanics using death certificate and state-level alcohol policy data for 1999–2016. Outcomes were analyzed as mortality rates (per 10,000) from 100% alcohol-attributable chronic conditions (“100% chronic AAD”). Statistical models regressed racial/ethnic-specific logged mortality rates on state-level, one-year lagged and logged beer tax, one-year lagged and logged spirits tax, and one-year lagged government-controlled spirits sales, adjusted for mortality trends, fixed effects for state, and clustering of standard errors. Government control was significantly (P < 0.05) related to 3% reductions in Overall and non-Hispanic White mortality rates, and 4% reductions in Hispanic mortality rates from 100% chronic AAD. Tax associations were not robust. Results support that government control of spirits retail is associated with significantly lower 100% AAD from chronic causes Overall and among non-Hispanic Whites and Hispanics. Government control of spirits retail may reduce both population-level 100% chronic AAD as well as racial/ethnic disparities in 100% chronic AAD.

Statistical analysis of the dynamics, structure and tendencies of development of the alcoholic industry of the russian federation

Importance. The alcoholic industry is extremely interesting as an object for economic analysis as one of the most important sources of financing for the state budget. Any interference in its activities has quite obvious short-term effects and less predictable long-term consequences that can negatively affect the socio-economic development of the state. Objectives. Statistical analysis of the dynamics, structure and development trends of the alcohol industry in the Russian Federation and the identification of factors affecting the activities of organizations in the alcohol industry during the crisis. Method. During the research, we used parametric methods of data analysis and machine learning, descriptive method, analysis and synthesis. Results. State control over the production, storage, and supply of alcoholic beverages has significantly increased in the period under study. This trend is due to the global policy of quantifying and increasing the culture of consumption of alcoholic beverages. The authors found signs of a shift from a "northern" to "Central European" consumption model. Significant changes took place in the dynamics of industrial production and retail sales of alcoholic beverages. The authors paid special attention to the assessment of structural changes during the active phase of the anti-alcohol reform. The observed changes in the excise policy of the state have led to an increase in the burden on producers and distribution infrastructure.decline in production and consumption was observed practically for all enlarged groups of alcoholic beverages. The authors found that the implemented excise policy has a different effect on the volume of production and retail sales of large groups of alcoholic beverages. The production and sale of spirits is most sensitive to changes in excise taxes. The production and sales of wine products were the least sensitive. Moreover, during the recession, production showed positive dynamics. It is obvious that there are risks generated by an aggressive excise policy and a policy of price caps, which can lead to destabilization of the alcoholic beverages market, as well as the displacement of capital into the shadow sector.

Washington State Spirits Privatization: How Satisfied were Liquor Purchasers Before and After, and by Type of Retail Store in 2014?

ABSTRACTBackground: In 2012 Washington State ended a wholesale/retail monopoly on liquor, permitting sale of spirits in stores with > 10,000 square feet. Implementation resulted in average price increases, but also five times the stores selling liquor. Objectives: As part of a privatization evaluation, we studied pre-post and between-store-type purchase experiences. Methods: A 2010 Washington State Liquor Control Board (LCB) survey of liquor purchasers (n = 599), and the 2014 baseline of a repeated telephone survey (1,202 residents; n = 465 purchasers), each included 10 LCB questions on satisfaction with purchase experiences, each attribute with graded response scale A = 4 to D = 1 and F (0 = fail). Analyses used t-tests for satisfaction differences by time and analysis of variance (ANOVA) for 2014 between-store satisfaction-level differences. Results: Five purchase features were rated more favorably after privatization (ps < .05–.001), including product supply, staff professionalism, location convenience, store hours, and prices (though price rated lowest both times); selection offered, courtesy, and checkout speed were unaltered, and number of staff and staff knowledge declined (both p < .001). Eight consumer experiences differed by store type: five satisfaction aspects (supply, selection, number of staff, operating hours, and checkout speed) were highest for liquor superstores, while location convenience favored grocery and drug stores, and price satisfaction favored wholesale (Costco) stores, with staff knowledge highest at liquor stores. Conclusions: Satisfaction with liquor purchases increased after privatization for half the consumer experiences. Availability (location convenience and store hours) was important to liquor purchasers. Such results are relevant to sustained support for the policy of privatizing spirits retail monopolies.

“The vice of distant knowledge”: Licensing and the geography of jurisdiction on the Scottish wartime Home Front

This article considers how licensing law conceives and practices jurisdiction. It examines the limits of attempts to define and exploit jurisdiction in the regulation of social problems connected to alcohol. Using the case study of a prohibition on the sale of spirits in the Scottish town of Motherwell during the First World War, it analyses how ‘vertical’ legal appeals through higher courts intersected with everyday ‘horizontal’ challenges to the jurisdiction of the local licensing magistrates as the ban pushed drinkers and the problems of drunkenness onto neighbouring authorities. Those higher court challenges importantly confirmed the localness of licensing, but they could not guarantee the effectiveness of the magistrates’ policy. By showing the potentially disruptive daily habits of ordinary citizens and urban infrastructure, the article promotes a social and material legal geography of licensing. In conclusion, it calls for a critical examination of the ‘local’ in local government, and the political geographies that result from appeals to space and scale in the division of governance functions.

Acute Pancreatitis: Impact of Alcohol Consumption and Seasonal Factors.

We aimed to evaluate the potential relation between the incidence of (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) acute pancreatitis (AP) and alcohol consumption in the general population, and whether the occurrence of AP shows any seasonal variation, particularly in relation to periods with expected increased alcohol consumption. All patients with first-time AP between 2003 and 2012 in a well-defined area in Sweden were retrospectively identified. Data on AP aetiology (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and severity were registered. Data on annual alcohol sales as well as on self-reported alcohol consumption were obtained. In total, 1457 AP patients were included (83% non-alcoholic AP, 17% alcoholic AP). The overall AP incidence showed increasing time trends for women and men (P < 0.05), but there were no significant changes in the incidence of alcoholic AP, in either sex (P > 0.05). Alcohol sales during the study period decreased (P = 0.002), mainly due to decreased sales of spirits (P = 0.001) and beer (P = 0.002), while self-reported alcohol consumption remained stable for women (P > 0.05) and decreased for men (P = 0.022). Neither alcohol sales nor consumption was related to the time trends of AP (P > 0.05 for all). No significant differences were found in the occurrence of AP among different seasons of the year or between holidays associated with higher alcohol consumption compared to periods before and after these holidays (P > 0.05 for all). Changes in alcohol consumption in the general population do not appear to be related to changes in the incidence of AP and there are no significant seasonal differences in the occurrence of AP in Sweden. The incidence of acute pancreatitis (AP) is increasing, and alcohol is still recognized as one of the most common causes. In this study, however, we could not ascertain any clear relations between the sales and consumption of alcohol in the general population and the incidence of alcoholic or non-alcoholic AP.

Estimated increase in cross-border purchases by Washington residents following liquor privatization and implications for alcohol consumption trends.

To estimate changes in liquor sales occurring in Washington, USA and bordering states following the privatization of government controlled liquor stores. Trend analyses of data from January 2009 to October 2014 of a natural experiment beginning 1June 2012, when liquor prices increased and the number of stores selling liquor increased in the state of Washington. Difference-in-differences (DID) models and interrupted time-series methods were used. Washington and bordering counties in Oregon and Idaho. Monthly liquor sales in 9-l cases. DID model estimates of adjusted change in liquor sales as a result of privatization produced a cross-model average increase of 10.1% in Oregon and 8.2% in Idaho (both P<0.001). Similar results were found using interrupted time-series. This represents a total loss to Washington of 89 865l of liquor, 0.226% of total Washington sales, for June 2012 to May 2013. Adding these sales to Washington totals for fiscal years 2013 and 2014, we find that per-capita spirits sales were 5.80l in both 2012 and 2013, declining slightly to 5.76 l in 2014. The privatization of liquor sales in the state of Washington, USA in 2012 and the price increases associated with this resulted in a significant increase in sales in bordering counties in the states of Oregon and Idaho. However, the amount of alcohol sales and revenue lost by Washington was relatively small. Per-capita liquor sales in Washington appear to have remained flat after privatization.

Impact of Maryland’s 2011 alcohol sales tax increase on alcoholic beverage sales

ABSTRACTBackground: Increasing alcohol taxes has proven effective in reducing alcohol consumption, but the effects of alcohol sales taxes on sales of specific alcoholic beverages have received little research attention. Data on sales are generally less subject to reporting biases than self-reported patterns of alcohol consumption. Objectives: We aimed to assess the effects of Maryland’s July 1, 2011 three percentage point increase in the alcohol sales tax (6–9%) on beverage-specific and total alcohol sales. Methods: Using county-level data on Maryland’s monthly alcohol sales in gallons for 2010–2012, by beverage type, multilevel mixed effects multiple linear regression models estimated the effects of the tax increase on alcohol sales. We controlled for seasonality, county characteristics, and national unemployment rates in the main analyses. Results: In the 18 months after the tax increase, average per capita sales of spirits were 5.1% lower (p < 0.001), beer sales were 3.2% lower (p < 0.001), and wine sales were 2.5% lower (p < 0.01) relative to what would have been expected from sales trends in the 18 months prior to the tax increase. Overall, the alcohol sales tax increase was associated with a 3.8% decline in total alcohol sold relative to what would have been expected based on sales in the prior 18 months (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The findings suggest that increased alcohol sales taxes may be as effective as excise taxes in reducing alcohol consumption and related problems. Sales taxes also have the added advantages of rising with inflation and taxing the highest priced beverages most heavily.

Regional alcohol consumption and alcohol-related mortality in Great Britain: novel insights using retail sales data.

BackgroundRegional differences in population levels of alcohol-related harm exist across Great Britain, but these are not entirely consistent with differences in population levels of alcohol consumption. This incongruence may be due to the use of self-report surveys to estimate consumption. Survey data are subject to various biases and typically produce consumption estimates much lower than those based on objective alcohol sales data. However, sales data have never been used to estimate regional consumption within Great Britain (GB). This ecological study uses alcohol retail sales data to provide novel insights into regional alcohol consumption in GB, and to explore the relationship between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related mortality.MethodsAlcohol sales estimates derived from electronic sales, delivery records and retail outlet sampling were obtained. The volume of pure alcohol sold was used to estimate per adult consumption, by market sector and drink type, across eleven GB regions in 2010–11. Alcohol-related mortality rates were calculated for the same regions and a cross-sectional correlation analysis between consumption and mortality was performed.ResultsPer adult consumption in northern England was above the GB average and characterised by high beer sales. A high level of consumption in South West England was driven by on-trade sales of cider and spirits and off-trade wine sales. Scottish regions had substantially higher spirits sales than elsewhere in GB, particularly through the off-trade. London had the lowest per adult consumption, attributable to lower off-trade sales across most drink types. Alcohol-related mortality was generally higher in regions with higher per adult consumption. The relationship was weakened by the South West and Central Scotland regions, which had the highest consumption levels, but discordantly low and very high alcohol-related mortality rates, respectively.ConclusionsThis study provides support for the ecological relationship between alcohol-related mortality and alcohol consumption. The synthesis of knowledge from a combination of sales, survey and mortality data, as well as primary research studies, is key to ensuring that regional alcohol consumption, and its relationship with alcohol-related harms, is better understood.

Investigation of the effect of a multi-buy discount ban on off-trade alcohol sales: a natural experiment in Scotland

BackgroundThe Alcohol etc (Scotland) Act 2010 was implemented in Scotland on Oct 1, 2011, and included a ban on multi-buy discounts of alcohol in Scotland's supermarkets and off licences (ie, off trade). The main aim of the legislation was to remove the price incentive for consumers to purchase more alcohol than they may otherwise have intended and, in turn, to reduce population levels of alcohol consumption. Alcohol sales data provide the best estimate of population alcohol consumption. We have investigated the effect of the introduction of the Alcohol Act on off-trade alcohol sales in Scotland. MethodsWe obtained data for the volume of pure alcohol sold off trade in Scotland and in England and Wales from market research specialists Nielsen (Oxford, UK) for individual weeks between January, 2009, and September, 2012 (appendix). Sales estimates were produced from electronic sales records from most large multiple retailers and a weighted stratified random sample of smaller retailers. We have previously shown that alcohol retail sales data offer a robust source of data for measurement and monitoring of alcohol consumption in Scotland and England and Wales. We used interrupted autoregressive integrated moving average time-series models to test for any change in off-trade alcohol sales (all alcohol and by drink type) after the introduction of the Alcohol Act in Scotland. Models accounted for underlying seasonal and secular trends and were adjusted for changes in other potential confounding factors including disposable income, alcohol prices, and on-trade alcohol sales. Data for these covariates were obtained from the Scottish Government and Office for National Statistics; Nielsen and Office for National Statistics; and CGA Strategy (Stockport, UK), respectively. To provide a concurrent control group, we did the same analyses using data for England and Wales, where the Alcohol Act does not apply. FindingsThe introduction of the Alcohol Act was associated with a 2·6% decrease in per-adult off-trade alcohol sales in Scotland (95% CI −5·3 to 0·2). This decline was driven by changes in off-trade wine sales, which decreased by 4·0% after the Act was introduced (95% CI −5·4 to −2·6). The Act was also associated with reduced sales of pre-mixed alcohol beverages (–8·5%, 95% CI −12·7 to −4·1), although these account for a very small proportion of total off-trade sales (1%). The Act was not associated with changes in sales of spirits, beer, or cider or perry in Scotland. There was no evidence to support an association between off-trade alcohol sales and the dummy Alcohol Act variable in England and Wales. InterpretationThe introduction of the Alcohol Act was associated with reduced off-trade alcohol sales in Scotland, largely attributable to a decline in wine sales. Key strengths of our study include the use of objective data for alcohol sales rather than subjective data on self-reported consumption, and the adjustment of our time-series models for underlying trends and potential confounders. Limitations include the exclusion of alcohol sales by certain retailers, the inability to disaggregate population sales estimates by different subgroups, and the short period after implementation of the Act. However, similar changes were not noted in England and Wales, where the Act does not apply, which lends weight to the hypothesis that the changes witnessed in Scotland were as a result of the Act rather than other unmeasured factors or biases. Thus, legislation to ban alcohol discounting seems an important policy in the mix to reduce population alcohol consumption levels. FundingPurchase of the sales data was funded by the Scottish Government as part of the wider Monitoring and Evaluating Scotland's Alcohol Strategy portfolio of studies.

Public health science and minimum unit pricing for alcohol: learning from Scotland

BackgroundIn 2006, The Lancet published a landmark paper showing a substantial increase in liver cirrhosis mortality in Scotland in the 1990s. Faced with this major public health challenge, and coinciding with a shift to an outcomes-based approach to formulate policy, in 2009 the Scottish Government set out a long-term strategy to change Scotland's relation with alcohol. We draw attention to the crucial role that public health science played in the successful passing of legislation to implement a minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol in Scotland. MethodsEvidence-informed logic models were developed to show that the long-term outcome of reduced alcohol-related harm in Scotland could best be achieved through a fall in population consumption, with pricing policies a key mechanism to achieve this outcome. The Monitoring and Evaluating Scotland's Alcohol Strategy (MESAS) programme of work was established to assess the effect of alcohol policy in Scotland and to identify unintended consequences. Indicators to monitor implementation and outcomes were identified. Few data to robustly measure alcohol consumption and price led to the purchase of data for alcohol retail sales for the periods 1994–1995 and 2000–2017. Analyses of these data, together with a portfolio of other in-house and commissioned studies, were undertaken. Regular engagement with the Scottish Government facilitated the production of outputs that were timely, relevant, and responsive to policy needs. FindingsThe use of alcohol retail sales data enabled the true scale of alcohol consumption in Scotland to be measured. In 2011, the volume of pure alcohol sold per adult in Scotland was 20% higher than in England and Wales. Indeed, enough alcohol was sold in Scotland in 2011 for every adult to exceed the recommended weekly drinking guidelines for men. Volumetric price distribution data showed that the difference between Scotland and England and Wales was driven largely by higher off-trade sales of spirits, particularly cheap vodka. A rightward shift in the price distribution between 2009 and 2011 indicated that at a specific pence per unit threshold, the proportion of alcohol sold below that threshold diminished over time. Outputs presenting MESAS findings achieved widespread media coverage and informed public debate on alcohol policy. They contributed to parliamentary processes and informed national decision making that resulted in the new MUP legislation. The reports have been widely cited and used to inform the setting of the 50 pence per unit MUP, and the proposal for review of the MUP threshold every 2 years. Crucially, the existence of MESAS and its assessment plans helped to inform the development of the review clause in the Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Act 2012. This Act embeds in legislation the requirement for robust assessment of a new policy to inform future decisions, ensuring public health science continues to be at the heart of alcohol policy making in Scotland. InterpretationThe Scottish experience programme has shown that long-term engagement with national policy makers and other stakeholders, together with the publication of timely and relevant outputs based on robust data and analysis, is beneficial to ensure that research and assessment appropriately affect public health policy in Scotland. FundingThe Scottish Government fund the purchase of alcohol sales and price data.

Et regelverk fullt av smutthull - legenes reseptrett i forbudstiden 1916 - 26

In Norway, the sale of distilled spirits was prohibited from 1916 to 1926, and fortified wines were banned from 1917 to 1923. This period is often referred to as The Prohibition. The consumption of alcohol declined somewhat, but at a high price: Increased smuggling, moonshining and abuse of prescriptions. The latter was caused by the doctors' exclusive right to prescribe alcohol, which some doctors abused for the sake of personal gain. KNOWLEDGE BASIS: The article is based on a review of the records of the Storting's deliberations concerning prescription practices in the period 1916-1926, as well as articles on alcohol issues in the Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association from the same period. With the aid of increasingly strict regulations, the authorities sought to stem the activities of the so-called «whisky doctors». The restrictions and controls imposed on their prescribing rights turned out not to be very effective, however, since the doctors' rights were firmly established. In combination with weaknesses in the legislative base, this hampered the criminal prosecution of doctors who wrote prescriptions in a big way. The abuse reached its climax in 1923. It was only with the enactment of the Prescription Act which came into force on 1 March 1924 that the authorities finally succeeded in gaining control of the abuse of prescriptions. The sale of spirits on prescription subsequently dropped sharply. The prescription of spirits had gradually spiralled out of control, and the repeated control measures enacted by the authorities proved insufficient. When the Prescription Act was finally adopted after three attempts in the Storting, time was in reality up for the prohibition.

Beverage-Specific Mortality Relationships in United States Population Data

Nearly all countries regulate distilled spirits differently from beer and wine. However, the scientific basis for this differential treatment has not been clearly established. This review covers beverage-specific relationships with alcohol-related mortality causes at the population level in the US and includes a new analysis of motor vehicle accident mortality. Spirits were found to be more strongly related to, or the only beverage type with a significant positive association with, cirrhosis, IHD and head and neck cancer mortality. Spirits sales, along with beer, were also implcated in motor vehicle accident mortality and homicde. While all three beverage types were found to be associated with suicide mortality, only spirits had a significant unlagged association. These associations were found under policy arrangements where spirits were discouraged with relatively higher taxes, lower availability and more restricted marketing opportunities. This suggests that the differential policy treatment found in the US and most other countries is justified on the basis of differential harm relationships.

News and Notes

News and Notes

The Effect of Sunday Sales Bans and Excise Taxes on Drinking and Cross—Border Shopping for Alcoholic Beverages

State excise taxes and Sunday sales bans are important interventions in the markets for beer and spirits. This paper estimates the effect of these policies on within–state and cross–state purchases of beer and spirits for 50 states plus the District of Columbia over the period 1990–2004. The results indicate that while demand for both spirits and beer appears to be quite price elastic, 20 to 40 percent of the elasticity for spirits is due to displacement of sales across state borders rather than decreases in own–state drinking. The paper also finds that although repeal of a Sunday sales ban leads to an increase in the sale of spirits, much of the increase in sales of beer is due to a continuation of pre–existing trends in those states that repealed their bans. Approximately 80 percent of the increase in sales of spirits that results from repealing a Sunday ban on spirits is due to an increase in own–state drinking, while the remaining 20 percent is due to changes in cross–border shopping.

Suicide rates and alcohol consumption in the United States, 1970-89.

This study investigates the aggregate relationships between suicide rates and beverage specific measures of alcohol consumption for states in the United States over periods of from 14 to 20 years. Time series cross-sectional analyses of these aggregate state level data are presented which control for exogenous differences between states, time trends and covariations over time in nine measures; age composition, male population, non-white population, per capita land area, metropolitanism, income, unemployment, measures of religious preferences and divorce. After correcting for substantial autocorrelations in measurement error, the analyses revealed that suicide rates were specifically associated with spirits sales, age composition of state populations, per capita land area, unemployment and religious preferences over time. While suicide rates increased significantly as a function of increased spirits sales, beer and wine sales were not associated with suicide rates. These findings suggest that it is not the consumption of ethanol per se but rather the consumption of ethanol in the form of spirits that is related to suicides. Rather, it would appear that a population-based preference for the consumption of spirits is associated with suicide events.