OBJECTIVE: Western Europe has high levels of alcohol consumption, with corresponding adverse health effects. Currently, a major revision of the EU excise tax regime is under discussion. We quantify the health impact of alcohol price increases across the EU. DATA AND METHOD: We use alcohol consumption data for 11 member states, covering 80% of the EU-27 population, and corresponding country-specific disease data (incidence, prevalence, and case-fatality rate of alcohol related diseases) taken from the 2010 published Dynamic Modelling for Health Impact Assessment (DYNAMO-HIA) database to dynamically project the changes in population health that might arise from changes in alcohol price. RESULTS: Increasing alcohol prices towards those of Finland (the highest in the EU) would postpone approximately 54,000 male and approximately 26,100 female deaths over 10 years. Moreover, the prevalence of a number of chronic diseases would be reduced: in men by approximately 97,800 individuals with diabetes, 65,800 with stroke and 62,200 with selected cancers, and in women by about 19,100, 23,500, and 27,100, respectively. CONCLUSION: Curbing excessive drinking throughout the EU completely would lead to substantial gains in population health. Harmonisiation of prices to the Finnish level would, for selected diseases, achieve more than 40% of those gains.
OBJECTIVE: Western Europe has high levels of alcohol consumption, with corresponding adverse health effects. Currently, a major revision of the EU excise tax regime is under discussion. We quantify the health impact of alcohol price increases across the EU. DATA AND METHOD: We use alcohol consumption data for 11 member states, covering 80% of the EU-27 population, and corresponding country-specific disease data (incidence, prevalence, and case-fatality rate of alcohol related diseases) taken from the 2010 published Dynamic Modelling for Health Impact Assessment (DYNAMO-HIA) database to dynamically project the changes in population health that might arise from changes in alcohol price. RESULTS: Increasing alcohol prices towards those of Finland (the highest in the EU) would postpone approximately 54,000 male and approximately 26,100 female deaths over 10 years. Moreover, the prevalence of a number of chronic diseases would be reduced: in men by approximately 97,800 individuals with diabetes, 65,800 with stroke and 62,200 with selected cancers, and in women by about 19,100, 23,500, and 27,100, respectively. CONCLUSION: Curbing excessive drinking throughout the EU completely would lead to substantial gains in population health. Harmonisiation of prices to the Finnish level would, for selected diseases, achieve more than 40% of those gains.
Authors: Stefan K Lhachimi; Wilma J Nusselder; Henriette A Smit; Paolo Baili; Kathleen Bennett; Esteve Fernández; Margarete C Kulik; Tim Lobstein; Joceline Pomerleau; Hendriek C Boshuizen; Johan P Mackenbach Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2016-08-05 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Teresa Leão; Julian Perelman; Luke Clancy; Martin Mlinarić; Jaana M Kinnunen; Paulien A W Nuyts; Nora Mélard; Arja Rimpelä; Vincent Lorant; Anton E Kunst Journal: Nicotine Tob Res Date: 2020-06-12 Impact factor: 4.244
Authors: J Westman; K Wahlbeck; T M Laursen; M Gissler; M Nordentoft; J Hällgren; M Arffman; U Ösby Journal: Acta Psychiatr Scand Date: 2014-09-20 Impact factor: 6.392