Changes in Cigarette Prices May Affect Alcohol Consumption..

December 16, 2010 - Raising cigarette taxes has the unwanted effect of increasing alcohol consumption, including binge and heavy drinking. This relationship is an example of what economists call a cross-price or substitution effect. And it’s something policy makers need to be cognizant of, Deborah L. McLellan said at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association (November 6-10, 2010, in Denver, CO.)

Dr. McLellan analyzed 6 years of cross-sectional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s annual Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys carried out in 2001-2006. Interviews were conducted with 1,323,758 adults living in nearly every state in the country.

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Reference: Changes in Cigarette Prices Affect Alcohol Consumption by: BRUCE JANCIN, Internal Medicine News Digital Network, 12/13/2010.