Relationships Between Minimum Alcohol Pricing and Crime During the Partial Privatization of a Canadian Government Alcohol Monopoly

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Objective:The purpose of this study was to estimate the independent effects of increases in minimum alcohol prices and densities of private liquor stores on crime outcomes in British Columbia, Canada, during a partial privatization of off-premise liquor sales. Method: A time-series cross-sectional panel study was conducted using mixed model regression analysis to explore associations between minimum alcohol prices, densities of liquor outlets, and crime outcomes across 89 local health areas of British Columbia between 2002 and 2010. Archival data on minimum alcohol prices, per capita alcohol outlet densities, and ecological demographic characteristics were related to measures of crimes against persons, alcohol-related traffic violations, and non-alcohol-related traffic violations. Analyses were adjusted for temporal and regional autocorrelation. Results: A 10% increase in provincial minimum alcohol prices was associated with an 18.81% (95% CI: ±17.99%, p < .05) reduction in alcohol-related traffic violations, a 9.17% (95% CI: ±5.95%, p < .01) reduction in crimes against persons, and a 9.39% (95% CI: ±3.80%, p < .001) reduction in total rates of crime outcomes examined. There was no significant association between minimum alcohol prices and non-alcohol-related traffic violations (p > .05). Densities of private liquor stores were not significantly associated with alcoholinvolved traffic violations or crimes against persons, though they were with non-alcohol-related traffic violations. Conclusions: Reductions in crime events associated with minimum-alcohol-price changes were more substantial and specific to alcohol-related events than the countervailing increases in densities of private liquor stores. The findings lend further support to the application of minimum alcohol prices for public health and safety objectives. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 76, 628-634, 2015)

The effect on emergency department visits of raised alcohol minimum prices in Saskatchewan, Canada

“…, with significant lagged reductions found after 3 and 4 months. In another Canadian province, British Columbia, increased alcohol minimum prices have been found to be associated with decreased consumption, alcohol‐attributable hospitalisations and mortalities and alcohol‐related crime .…”

“…Importantly for the study design of the current article, a post-hoc analysis testing the lagged effect of the minimum price increase on consumption was conducted in Stockwell et al [11], with significant lagged reductions found after 3 and 4 months. In another Canadian province, British Columbia, increased alcohol minimum prices have been found to be associated with decreased consumption, alcohol-attributable hospitalisations and mortalities and alcohol-related crime [7,[12][13][14].…”

The families and friends of heavy drinkers: Caught in the cross‐fire of policy change?

“…This is currently being challenged at the European Court of Justice. Similar minimum pricing strategies have been introduced elsewhere, notably Canada, where recent evaluations have shown a reduction in consumption, hospital admissions, crime and death, wholly attributed to alcohol [7][8][9]. Other recent policies include the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 [10] and the Alcohol etc.…”

Preventing violence-related injuries in England and Wales: a panel study examining the impact of on-trade and off-trade alcohol prices

“…However, MUP would only target the cheapest alcohol most commonly found in the off-trade market and would be likely to have little effect on the price of alcohol sold in the on-trade market 33. Although MUP has been shown to reduce interpersonal crimes (including assault) in Canada,34 less is known regarding the likely effect on violence in the UK. Reforming the current alcohol taxation system so that excise duty for all alcoholic drinks is relative to strength, for example,33 may well be more effective at reducing violence-related injuries in England and Wales, as this would lead to a more uniform price increase across both markets.…”