The effects of price on the consequences of alcohol use and abuse.

Abstract

Economists have examined the impact of alcohol prices on various outcomes related to alcohol consumption, including nonfatal and fatal motor vehicle accidents, other accidents, liver cirrhosis, and other alcohol-related mortality, crime, and education attainment. Price, in the context of this research, includes not only the monetary price of alcoholic beverages, but also a wide variety of other "costs" of drinking and heavy drinking, including the time spent obtaining alcoholic beverages and the legal costs associated with drinking and related behavior. This research clearly demonstrates that increases in the monetary prices of alcoholic beverages, which could be achieved by increasing taxes on alcohol, can significantly reduce many of the problems associated with alcohol use and abuse. In addition, control policies that raise other "costs" of drinking, including reduced availability of alcoholic beverages, higher legal drinking ages, and others, are also effective in reducing the consequences of alcohol use and abuse.