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> A prime example of a "health tax" such as this is the Scottish Nationalist Party's tax on alcohol - in a bid to increase health by putting a minimum pricing o

> A prime example of a "health tax" such as this is the Scottish Nationalist Party's tax on alcohol - in a bid to increase health by putting a minimum pricing on alcoholic beverages. > The result? Nothing has changed, there is still the same amount of health problems in Scotland caused by alcohol. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/mar/21/scotlands-minimum-pricing-linked-to-13-drop-in-alcohol-related-deaths-study-finds https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/mar/21/scotlands-mi... "Scotland’s minimum pricing linked to 13% drop in alcohol-related deaths, study finds Experts say research provides clear evidence minimum unit pricing has reduced harm caused by alcohol Scotland’s pioneering policy of minimum pricing for alcohol has been linked to a 13% drop in the number of deaths from alcohol consumption, and hundreds fewer hospitalisations, according to a study. The research was observational, so cannot prove conclusively that the significant fall in deaths was due to the minimum unit pricing policy. However, experts said the study provided the clearest signal to date that the policy had reduced the harm caused by alcohol in Scotland, and added to a large and consistent evidence base on the effectiveness of alcohol pricing action."

tomjen3 3y ago
Thats assuming that the higher alcohol prices have not caused people to spend more on alcohol and less on things like food or necessities for their families or turned to other sources of alcohol (homebrewed and therefore more dangerous).
scarygliders 3y ago
A different study finds otherwise. "The study found that, since MUP was introduced in May 2018, there has been no change in the proportion of harmful drinkers. A small drop of 3.2 units per week in their consumption was “not robust” and disappeared when adjusted for the introduction of Universal Credit, which changed the regularity of benefit payments." https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/minimum-pricing/ https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/minimum-pricing/
- seanwilson 3y ago
  That quote sounds misleading when the study itself (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033350623001427 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S003335062...) differentiates between harmful and hazardous drinking: "Results: There was no significant change in the proportion of drinkers consuming at harmful levels (β = +0.6 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI] = −1.1, +2.3) or moderate levels (β = +1.4 percentage points; 95% confidence interval = −1.1, +3.8) after the introduction of MUP. The proportion consuming at hazardous levels fell significantly by 3.5 percentage points (95% CI = −5.4, −1.7). There were no significant changes in other secondary outcomes or in the subgroup analyses after correction for multiple testing. Conclusions: Introducing MUP in Scotland was not associated with reductions in the proportion of drinkers consuming at harmful levels but did reduce the prevalence of hazardous drinking. This adds to previous evidence that MUP reduced overall alcohol consumption in Scotland and consumption among those drinking above moderate levels." The study above also comments that the previous study (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2823%2900497-X/fulltext https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6...) is the "most direct evidence on the public health impact of MUP to date": "Further research that would strengthen understanding of the impact of MUP on people drinking at harmful levels include studies of alcohol-related harm. Such analyses have recently been published, showing a 13.4% reduction in alcohol-attributable deaths and a 4.1% reduction in alcohol-attributable hospitalisations in Scotland. This provides the most direct evidence on the public health impact of MUP to date."

tomjen3 3y ago

Thats assuming that the higher alcohol prices have not caused people to spend more on alcohol and less on things like food or necessities for their families or turned to other sources of alcohol (homebrewed and therefore more dangerous).

scarygliders 3y ago

A different study finds otherwise. "The study found that, since MUP was introduced in May 2018, there has been no change in the proportion of harmful drinkers. A small drop of 3.2 units per week in their consumption was “not robust” and disappeared when adjusted for the introduction of Universal Credit, which changed the regularity of benefit payments." https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/minimum-pricing/ https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/minimum-pricing/

seanwilson 3y ago
That quote sounds misleading when the study itself (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033350623001427 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S003335062...) differentiates between harmful and hazardous drinking: "Results: There was no significant change in the proportion of drinkers consuming at harmful levels (β = +0.6 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI] = −1.1, +2.3) or moderate levels (β = +1.4 percentage points; 95% confidence interval = −1.1, +3.8) after the introduction of MUP. The proportion consuming at hazardous levels fell significantly by 3.5 percentage points (95% CI = −5.4, −1.7). There were no significant changes in other secondary outcomes or in the subgroup analyses after correction for multiple testing. Conclusions: Introducing MUP in Scotland was not associated with reductions in the proportion of drinkers consuming at harmful levels but did reduce the prevalence of hazardous drinking. This adds to previous evidence that MUP reduced overall alcohol consumption in Scotland and consumption among those drinking above moderate levels." The study above also comments that the previous study (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2823%2900497-X/fulltext https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6...) is the "most direct evidence on the public health impact of MUP to date": "Further research that would strengthen understanding of the impact of MUP on people drinking at harmful levels include studies of alcohol-related harm. Such analyses have recently been published, showing a 13.4% reduction in alcohol-attributable deaths and a 4.1% reduction in alcohol-attributable hospitalisations in Scotland. This provides the most direct evidence on the public health impact of MUP to date."