Reduction of Alcoholic Strength: Does It Matter for Public Health?
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Reduction of Alcoholic Strength: Does It Matter for Public Health? / Rehm, Jürgen; Rovira, Pol; Manthey, Jakob; Anderson, Peter.
In: NUTRIENTS, Vol. 15, No. 4, 11.02.2023, p. 910.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Reduction of Alcoholic Strength: Does It Matter for Public Health?
AU - Rehm, Jürgen
AU - Rovira, Pol
AU - Manthey, Jakob
AU - Anderson, Peter
PY - 2023/2/11
Y1 - 2023/2/11
N2 - In this work, reduction of alcoholic strength was discussed as a means to reduce consumption and alcohol-attributable harm. Statistical modelling was conducted to (1) estimate its potential for the largest six Western and Central European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, UK); (2) calculate the increase in taxation necessary to reach this potential, and (3) estimate the mortality gains achieved with the introduction of no- or low-alcohol beverages in the UK and Spain. The high public health potential of reducing alcoholic strength was demonstrated via modelling a scenario in which the strength of all beverages was reduced by 10%, which would avert thousands of deaths in these six European countries per year. However, methods by which to achieve these gains were not clear, as the alcohol industry has shown no inclination toward reductions in the alcoholic strength of beer, wine, or spirits via a reformulation on a large scale. The increase of excise taxation to achieve the public health gains of such a reduction would result in markedly increasing prices-a situation unlikely to be implemented in Europe. Finally, the introduction of beer and wine with an alcoholic strength below 0.5% led to some substitutions of higher-strength beverages, but did not show a marked public health impact. New taxation initiatives to achieve the potential of a reduction of alcoholic strength will need to be implemented.
AB - In this work, reduction of alcoholic strength was discussed as a means to reduce consumption and alcohol-attributable harm. Statistical modelling was conducted to (1) estimate its potential for the largest six Western and Central European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, UK); (2) calculate the increase in taxation necessary to reach this potential, and (3) estimate the mortality gains achieved with the introduction of no- or low-alcohol beverages in the UK and Spain. The high public health potential of reducing alcoholic strength was demonstrated via modelling a scenario in which the strength of all beverages was reduced by 10%, which would avert thousands of deaths in these six European countries per year. However, methods by which to achieve these gains were not clear, as the alcohol industry has shown no inclination toward reductions in the alcoholic strength of beer, wine, or spirits via a reformulation on a large scale. The increase of excise taxation to achieve the public health gains of such a reduction would result in markedly increasing prices-a situation unlikely to be implemented in Europe. Finally, the introduction of beer and wine with an alcoholic strength below 0.5% led to some substitutions of higher-strength beverages, but did not show a marked public health impact. New taxation initiatives to achieve the potential of a reduction of alcoholic strength will need to be implemented.
KW - Alcohol Drinking
KW - Public Health
KW - Alcoholic Beverages
KW - Wine
KW - Beer
U2 - 10.3390/nu15040910
DO - 10.3390/nu15040910
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 36839266
VL - 15
SP - 910
JO - NUTRIENTS
JF - NUTRIENTS
SN - 2072-6643
IS - 4
ER -