High taxes better way to lower risk of alcohol-related death

Friday November 14, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- A study suggests that raising state taxes on alcohol may be much more effective in lowering the risk of premature death from alcohol-related diseases than anti-alcohol media campaigns.

The study published in the online January edition of the American Journal of Public Health showed that in Alaska, two raises in alcohol taxes reduced the death risk by 29 percent and 11 percent and saved about 40 people a year.

"The real bottom line is that the increase in the alcohol tax saved lives," lead author of the study Alexander C. Wagenaar, of the College of Medicine at the University of Florida in Gainesville was quoted by healthday.com as saying.

The study was meant to examine the impact of increased taxes on alcoholic beverages on risk of death from alcohol-related diseases.

The researchers analyzed U.S. National Center for Health Statistics data from 1976 through 2004.   Particularly interesting were the data from the state of Alaska which the researchers noticed had raised its tax on beer twice from 46 cents per gallon to 63 cents in 1983 and to $1.20 per gallon in 2002.

The diseases considered in the study included cirrhosis, cancer of the mouth, cancers of the esophagus, breast cancer, and some pancreatic and cardiac illnesses.

Specifically, the researchers found that the tax increase in 1983 resulted in a reduction of 29 percent drop in mortality every year or about 23 deaths per year after the new tax law was imposed and the tax increase in 2002 led to another 11 percent decrease or another 21 deaths per year.

Alcohol consumption leads to serious injuries and accidents.   But diseases resulting from alcohol consumption alone kill an estimated 85,000 people in the United States each year.

High taxes are not optional if the states intend to reduce risk of premature deaths from alcohol.   Other methods to reduce the death risk are no match for high taxes, according to the authors.  

Data from Alaska suggested that two raises in alcohol tax in the state were two to four times as effective in lowering death rates as anti-drinking media campaigns or school programs targeted at getting school children to quit drinking.

“When the excise tax on tobacco was raised, consumption declined and as a result tobacco related diseases also declined,” Wagenaar was quoted as saying. “Now, with the current study, we are finding the same to be true for alcohol. Adjusting taxes has a remarkable effect on the rate of alcohol related deaths. They parallel one another quite a bit.”

The alcohol industry doesn’t agree.  "A broad tax increase on alcohol would not target the problem drinker, but simply condemn those who drink responsibly and enjoy wine and spirits," Craig Wolf, CEO and President of Wine and Spirits Wholesale of America was quoted as saying.

Harry Wile, executive director of the American Beverage Licensees was cited by injuryboard.com as saying historical evidence shows that raising the alcohol tax would negatively impact economy and diminish returns for the government.