Simon C Moore1,2, Bella Orpen2, Jesse Smith3, Chinmoy Sarkar4, Chenlu Li5, Jonathan Shepherd1,2, Sarah Bauermeister6. 1. Violence Research Group, School of Dentistry, Cardiff CF14 4XY, UK. 2. Crime and Security Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AE, UK. 3. Centre for the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public Health Improvement, School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3BD, UK. 4. Healthy High Density Cities Lab, HKUrbanLab, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. 5. Deloitte LLP, London EC4A 3HQ, UK. 6. Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Increasing the price of alcohol reduces alcohol consumption and harm. The role of food complementarity, transaction costs and inflation on alcohol demand are determined and discussed in relation to alcohol price policies. METHODS: UK Biobank (N = 502,628) was linked by region to retail price quotes for the years 2007 to 2010. The log residual food and alcohol prices, and alcohol availability were regressed onto log daily alcohol consumption. Model standard errors were adjusted for clustering by region. RESULTS: Associations with alcohol consumption were found for alcohol price (β = -0.56, 95% CI, -0.92 to -0.20) and availability (β = 0.06, 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.07). Introducing, food price reduced the alcohol price consumption association (β = -0.26, 95% CI, -0.50 to -0.03). Alcohol (B = 0.001, 95% CI, 0.0004 to 0.001) and food (B = 0.001, 95% CI, 0.0005 to 0.0006) price increased with time and were associated (ρ = 0.57, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Alcohol and food are complements, and the price elasticity of alcohol reduces when the effect of food price is accounted for. Transaction costs did not affect the alcohol price consumption relationship. Fixed alcohol price policies are susceptible to inflation.
BACKGROUND: Increasing the price of alcohol reduces alcohol consumption and harm. The role of food complementarity, transaction costs and inflation on alcohol demand are determined and discussed in relation to alcohol price policies. METHODS: UK Biobank (N = 502,628) was linked by region to retail price quotes for the years 2007 to 2010. The log residual food and alcohol prices, and alcohol availability were regressed onto log daily alcohol consumption. Model standard errors were adjusted for clustering by region. RESULTS: Associations with alcohol consumption were found for alcohol price (β = -0.56, 95% CI, -0.92 to -0.20) and availability (β = 0.06, 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.07). Introducing, food price reduced the alcohol price consumption association (β = -0.26, 95% CI, -0.50 to -0.03). Alcohol (B = 0.001, 95% CI, 0.0004 to 0.001) and food (B = 0.001, 95% CI, 0.0005 to 0.0006) price increased with time and were associated (ρ = 0.57, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Alcohol and food are complements, and the price elasticity of alcohol reduces when the effect of food price is accounted for. Transaction costs did not affect the alcohol price consumption relationship. Fixed alcohol price policies are susceptible to inflation.
Authors: L Trefan; A Akbari; S Paranjothy; D M Farewell; A Gartner; D Fone; J Greene; A Evans; A Smith; V Adekanmbi; J Kennedy; R A Lyons; S C Moore Journal: Int J Popul Data Sci Date: 2019-05-20
Authors: Amrita Bandyopadhyay; Sinead Brophy; Ashley Akbari; Joanne Demmler; Jonathan Kennedy; Shantini Paranjothy; Ronan A Lyons; Simon Moore Journal: Int J Popul Data Sci Date: 2022-07-07