William Atkins
Saturday, 15 November 2008 21:37
Science -
Health
Page 1 of 3
An Alaskan study by researchers from the University of Florida states that increasing the tax on alcoholic beverages is an effective way to reduce alcohol related diseases and mortality. Not everyone agrees, however.
The paper by Alexander C. Wagenaar, Mildred M. Maldonado-Molina, and Bradley H. Wagenaar, all from the University of Florida, is entitled “
Effects of Alcohol Tax Increases on Alcohol-Related Disease Mortality in Alaska: Time-Series Analyses from 1976 to 2004.”
It was published in the November 13, 2008 issue of the
American Journal of Public Health.
The Florida researchers evaluated the effects of tax increases on alcoholic beverages that were enacted in the state of Alaska in 1983 and 2002.
Wagenaar stated that they studied Alaska citizens because of the controversy that erupted when the Alaskan government enacted both tax increases.
He stated,
"No other state in recent years has increased alcohol taxes in the way that Alaska did in 2002. Basically, they conducted the experiment, and we studied it." [CNN: “
Study: Paying more for alcohol saves lives”]
Dr. Wagenaar, with the Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy Research at the University of Florida, stated,
“Increasing alcohol taxes saves lives; that's the bottom line.” [CNN]
Wagenaar added,
"The tax increase caused some reduction in consumption of alcohol. The reduction saved lives."
Page two continues the discussion on the Wagenaar study.
