Alcohol tax cuts and increase in alcohol‐positive sudden deaths—a time‐series intervention analysis

Abstract

Alcohol tax cuts were associated with an increase in the number of sudden deaths involving alcohol. This parallels the reported increases in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related causes of death in 2004 in Finland.

Variations in Alcohol-Related Mortality in the Nordic Countries after 1995—Continuity or Change?

“…This indicates that differences in alcohol policies may explain some of the Nordie differences in alcohol-related harm. A current example of the importance of alcohol policy was the recent tax-cut in Finland (2004), which gave rise to a significant increase in acute alcohol-related deaths (Koski et al 2007). In faet, one of the few changes that were noticeable in the present data was the tendency for Finland to show relatively higher mortality rates during the period after 2000.…”

The need for a global alcohol strategy: ‘upscaling the issue in a downstreaming environment'

“…Finnish data demonstrated a 17% increase in alcohol-related sudden deaths (equivalent to eight additional alcohol-related deaths per week) when alcohol excise duty was reduced by an average of 33% (in order to increase cheap imports from abroad). 25 In addition, important policy lessons and comparisons can be drawn between the global tobacco campaign, which has received international acclaim, in stark comparison to the alcohol campaign. Lessons learnt from this campaign can be applied to alcohol, for example, advocacy should concentrate on alcohol control measures/harm reduction; awareness of the links between increased consumption, harm and globalisation; reframing the problem; and building effective advocacy coalitions.…”

Pricing and Tax Options to Reduce Alcohol‐related Harms

“…There will need to be further follow-up to confirm that this translates into reduction in harm. We certainly know the impact on health of making alcohol cheaper-Finnish data demon-strated a 17% increase in alcohol-related sudden deaths (equivalent to eight additional alcohol-related deaths per week) when alcohol excise duty was reduced by an average of 33% (in order to avoid cheap imports from abroad) [6]. Calculations in England suggest that a MUP of £0.50 would decrease alcohol consumption by 6.9%, and lead to 3393 fewer deaths, 97 900 fewer hospital admission, 45 800 fewer crimes and 296 900 fewer sick days [7].…”

“…Nor is it possible to predict the future social and economic environments in which price levers will be applied, such as changing alcohol affordability and prices, as has happened recently in Scotland [6]. This means that in implementing alcohol pricing policies there must be continuous monitoring and evaluation.…”