Unlocking Patterns of Alcohol Consumption in British Columbia Using Alcohol Sales Data: A Foundation for Public Health Monitoring

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 499-516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott MacDonald ◽  
Jinhui Zhao ◽  
Basia Pakula ◽  
Tim Stockwell ◽  
Lorissa Martens
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Sales Data ◽  
Total Alcohol ◽  
Statistics Canada ◽  
Alcohol Sales

Alcohol sales data provide a more accurate indication of alcohol consumption than alternative methods such as population surveys. This information can be used to better understand epidemiological issues related to alcohol consumption, policy development and evaluation. Official sales records were collected for the 28 regional districts of British Columbia (BC) for 2002–2005, while homemade alcohol was estimated from survey data. Alcohol consumption rates were found to vary across geographic regions, by season, and with population level demographics. Government stores were the largest source of alcohol consumption in BC, accounting for 45.1% of total alcohol consumption in 2004. U-Brews/U-Vins accounted for 4.0%, private liquor stores accounted for 27.5% of the total, and homemade alcohol made up 4.3% of total alcohol consumption. Analysis also revealed that the average alcohol concentration in wines (12.53%) and coolers (6.77%) has been underestimated by Statistics Canada. The feasibility of developing this type of alcohol monitoring system is examined. Finally, implications for the development of targeted public health initiatives and future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Alcohol Consumption and Closed Borders - How COVID-19 Restrictions have Impacted Alcohol Sales and Consumption in Europe

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Håkan Leifman ◽  
Kalle Dramstad ◽  
Emil Juslin
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Northern European ◽  
International Borders ◽  
Pure Alcohol ◽  
Total Alcohol ◽  
Time Series Analyses ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Alcohol Sales

Abstract BackgroundThe closing of bars, restaurants and international borders during the COVID-19 pandemic led to significant changes in alcohol availability. The study provides a first systematic overview of the monthly development of alcohol sales in Europe during the pandemic in order to determine the effect of closed borders on the sales and consumption of alcohol.MethodsThe study covers 60 months from January 2015 to December 2020 in 14 northern-European countries with excise revenue data for beer, wine, spirits separately and summed, converted into litres of pure alcohol per capita 15+ as a proxy for alcohol sales. March-December 2020 is seen as the pandemic period. The analyses consist of (1) descriptive trends of sales before and during the pandemic, (2) assessment of the pandemic impact on sales by time-series analyses and (3) case studies of countries with substantial cross-border inflow or outflow of alcohol.ResultsThe result shows an overall reduction in alcohol sales during the pandemic. Nevertheless, the results differ based on the level of cross-border purchasing flows pre-pandemic, as countries with high cross-border inflow saw an increase in domestic sales as the pandemic hit. ConclusionThe closing of intra-European borders had a significant redistributing effect on alcohol sales. While noting sales increases, cross-border inflow countries generally saw a decrease in total alcohol consumption as not all cross-border purchases were replaced by domestic sales. This has important policy implications as large volumes of cross-border inflow of alcohol can negatively affect excise revenue as well as public health outcomes. The methodology can be used to further explore the reliance of different purchasing streams in a domestic alcohol market.

scholarly journals Energy labelling of alcoholic drinks as a public health policy to reduce obesity: An integrative review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Public Health Policy ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Integrative Review ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Alcoholic Drink ◽  
Alcoholic Drinks ◽  
Energy Labelling

Objective: Both excessive alcohol consumption and obesity produce a considerable public health burden. Alcohol is calorie dense, but unlike food products, alcoholic drinks tend to be exempt from nutritional labelling laws that require energy content information to be displayed on packaging or at point of purchase. Design: Here we provide an integrative review on the potential of alcoholic drink energy labelling as a public health policy to reduce obesity. Results: We first outline the contribution that alcohol makes to population level daily energy intake and the role that alcohol consumption may have in promoting obesity. We next discuss the extent to which there is a consumer need for alcoholic drink energy labelling and the potential impact that energy labelling of alcoholic drinks would have on both consumer and industry behaviour. The direct and indirect pathways and mechanisms by which energy labelling of alcoholic drinks could theoretically influence public health are discussed, as well as possible unintended consequences of alcoholic drink energy labelling. Conclusion: We conclude by discussing key questions that will need to be answered by future research in order to determine how effective energy labelling of alcoholic drink policies will be in reducing obesity and improving public health.

scholarly journals Adolescent alcohol consumption: protocol for a scoping review of screening and assessment tools used in Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanor Briegal ◽  
Alice M. Biggane ◽  
Angela I. Obasi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Adolescent Alcohol

Abstract Background Alcohol consumption is a key public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, which has the highest burden of alcohol attributable injury and disease of any region. Excess alcohol use is particularly harmful for adolescents and has been associated with neurocognitive defects and social and emotional problems. Effective screening and assessment tools are necessary to implement, evaluate and monitor interventions to prevent and decrease adolescent alcohol use. Most of these tools have been used among adolescent groups in high income settings; data on their effectiveness in Africa, where much alcohol use is unregulated, is limited. This scoping review will examine and map the range of tools in use and create an evidence base for future research in adolescent alcohol prevention and control in Africa. Methods The review will include all relevant study designs and grey literature. Inclusion and exclusion criteria have been designed using the Population – Concept – Context framework, and two reviewers will independently screen titles, abstracts and then full text to determine eligibility of articles. The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, CINAHL and Global Health data bases will be searched for peer reviewed publications. The search strategy for grey literature will include Google searches and searches in websites of pertinent professional bodies and charities. The methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley and adaptations by the Joanna Briggs Institute and Levac et al. will be used. An iterative approach to charting, collating, summarising and reporting the data will be taken, with the development of charting forms and the final presentation of results led by the extracted data. Results This scoping review protocol describes a secondary analysis of data already collected to explore and map alcohol consumption measurement tools in adolescents in Africa. Conclusions It is anticipated that our findings will provide an evidence base surrounding tools used to measure adolescent alcohol consumption in Africa. These findings are likely to be useful in informing future research, policy and public health strategies. Findings will be disseminated widely through peer-reviewed publication and in various media, for example, conferences, congresses or symposia. Systematic review registration Scoping Review Registration: Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/bjhgw/)

scholarly journals Restricting Retail Hours of Alcohol Sales within an Army Community

2019 ◽  
Vol 184 (9-10) ◽  
pp. e400-e405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren E Grattan ◽  
Brittney S Mengistu ◽  
Steven H Bullock ◽  
Theresa Jackson Santo ◽  
Dawnyéa D Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Longitudinal Design ◽  
Alcoholic Beverages ◽  
Service Members ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Retail Sale ◽  
Excessive Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Excessive Alcohol ◽  
Alcohol Sales

Abstract Introduction Excessive alcohol consumption continues to be a significant concern to overall military readiness; each year, it results in non-deployable active duty service members and service members separated from service. In 2009, The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommended limiting the hours of alcohol sales as an evidence-based and effective intervention to reduce alcohol-related harms. In June 2014, partnerships at an Army Installation in the Midwestern United States implemented a policy to reduce excessive alcohol consumption and associated alcohol-related harms. Although community-based interventions have been shown to successfully reduce alcohol-related negative consequences, little research has explored the effects of these interventions in military communities. Materials and Methods The intervention reduced the retail sale of alcoholic beverages by eight hours daily (11:01 pm to 6:59 am) within the installation community. The U.S. Army Public Health Review Board approved this study as public health practice. The quantitative assessment from a mixed-methods evaluation implemented an interrupted time series design to assess changes in the community resulting from the intervention. Revenue and crime data were collected 11 months and 12 months prior to and after the onset of the intervention, respectively, to quantify the adherence to and effectiveness of the policy. The outcome variables measured in the evaluation were Serious Incident Reports (SIRs) and Driving Under the Influence/Driving While Intoxicated (DUI/DWI) citations. A Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test of significance was used to measure changes in crime outcomes post-policy. Results The results indicated that pre-policy rates of overall DUI/DWI citations, and DUI/DWI citations on-post were significantly higher than post-policy DUI/DWI citations (p < 0.05). The results also indicated that pre-policy rates of overall SIRS, alcohol-related SIRs, and SIRs occurring at night were not statistically higher than post-policy rates (p ≥ 0.05). The pre-policy DUI/DWI citations occurring off-post and DUI/DWI citations occurring at night did not reach statistical significance (p > 0.05). Policy adherence was good and total alcohol sales revenue remained stable before and after policy implementation. Conclusions This was the first known evaluation within a military community to report improvements in crime statistics following an eight hour reduction in daily retail sale hours of alcohol. The reduction in alcohol-related harms presented in this evaluation are typical for small communities implementing alcohol-related policies; however, the effect sizes reported here are larger than those reported in the current literature, suggesting that the policy positively impacted the installation community in decreasing alcohol-related harms. Evaluation data did not show statistically significant reductions in DUI/DWI citations and SIRs occurring during night hours. Further, the evaluation design disallows the ability to draw a causal relationship between the intervention and measured outcomes. Additional installations should consider implementing similar policies to determine if observed effects are replicable. Future studies should include a longitudinal design that would allow for long-lasting changes to be observed within the population, measurement of additional proximal outcomes (e.g., reported alcohol consumption), and investigating social and health outcomes both inside and outside the confines of the installation community.

An examination of suicide research and funding in New Zealand 2006–16: implications for new research and policies

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel D. L. Coppersmith ◽  
Shyamala Nada-Raja ◽  
Annette L. Beautrais
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Suicide Rates

Objective Suicide is a significant public health problem in New Zealand, with the youth suicide rate being one of the highest among developed countries. Increased suicide rates in recent years suggest that the evidence base and research priorities for New Zealand suicide prevention need to be reassessed. To inform policy development, the aim of the present study was to evaluate all peer-reviewed New Zealand published suicide research and major grant allocations from 2006 to 2016. Methods The methodology duplicated a recent Australian review of suicide prevention research and funding. Publications and grant funding allocations were assessed independently. Key research databases were searched in April 2016 for all suicide-related publications. Identified papers were then classified by research type, population focus and type of self-injurious behaviour. Citation indices were obtained for each publication. Annual reports, newsletters and summary data from four major New Zealand funding bodies (the Health Research Council of New Zealand, Marsden Fund, Lottery Health Research and the Ministry of Health) were reviewed for funding allocations. Identified grants were coded for type of project, type of self-injurious behaviour and target population. Descriptive analyses were performed. Results In all, 104 published articles and 27 grants met review criteria. Total funding was NZ$12 677 261.62. Most published articles were epidemiological in nature and the most common type of grant was for an intervention. Conclusions In the past decade, a substantial number of articles has been published and significant funding was invested in New Zealand’s suicide research. The present review suggests that future research investments should focus on effective translation of research findings into suicide prevention programs. Several pragmatic recommendations are proposed to help improve the evidence base and reduce New Zealand’s suicide rates. What is known about the topic? Suicide prevention continues to be a national public health priority for New Zealand. Although much is known about the prevalence of suicidal behaviours in New Zealand, less is known about how well suicide research has addressed prevention priorities and specific target populations. Australian research found that research funding and publications were dominated by epidemiological studies rather than evaluation or intervention studies. It is yet to be determined whether these research and funding trends also apply for New Zealand. What does this paper add? This study examined all peer-reviewed and published suicide research and all major suicide prevention projects that have been funded in New Zealand between 2006 and 2016. The purpose of the review was to summarise the evidence base, evaluate funding and determine the ability of the evidence base to inform policy development. The findings demonstrate that the New Zealand research trends are similar to those found in Australia, with most studies being epidemiological and few representative of interventions. What are the implications for practitioners? This review highlights that there were few intervention and evaluation studies. Partnerships between practitioners and/or community organisations implementing interventions and researchers to systematically evaluate existing interventions and develop new evidence-based interventions would help improve the evidence base for New Zealand suicide prevention.

A Cross-National Analysis of Alcohol Consumption and Suicide Rates: Variations by Population-Level Drinking Patterns

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 625-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Testa ◽  
Douglas B. Weiss ◽  
Mateus Rennó Santos
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Suicide Mortality ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Total Alcohol ◽  
National Analysis ◽  
Cross National

This study assesses the association between the population-level consumption of different types of alcohol and cross-national suicide rates and examines whether this association is moderated by country-specific drinking patterns. We apply negative binomial regression to test whether the consumption of beer, wine, or spirits is predictive of suicide rates. Next, we use interaction terms to examine whether the effect of beverage-specific consumption on suicide rates is moderated by total alcohol consumption, prevalence of consumption, or the riskiness of drinking patterns. We find that only spirit consumption has a positive and statistically significant association with suicide rates. The effect of spirit consumption on suicide is higher among countries where the total alcohol consumption and the prevalence of alcohol consumption are lower, and patterns of drinking are riskier. Future research should continue to investigate this relationship to develop interventions that reduce suicide mortality related to alcohol use.

scholarly journals Interventions for adolescent alcohol consumption in Africa: protocol for a scoping review including an overview of reviews

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice M. Biggane ◽  
Eleanor Briegal ◽  
Angela Obasi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Adolescent Alcohol ◽  
Cochrane Database

Abstract Background Harmful alcohol use is a leading risk to the health of populations worldwide. Within Africa, where most consumers are adolescents, alcohol use represents a key public health challenge. Interventions to prevent or substantially delay alcohol uptake and decrease alcohol consumption in adolescence could significantly decrease morbidity and mortality, through both immediate effects and future improved adult outcomes. In Africa, these interventions are urgently needed; however, key data necessary to develop them are lacking as most evidence to date relates to high-income countries. The purpose of this review is to examine and map the range of interventions in use and create an evidence base for future research in this area. Methods In the first instance, we will conduct a review of systematic reviews relevant to global adolescent alcohol interventions. We will search the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL, Web of Science, Global Health and PubMed using a broad search. In the second instance we will conduct a scoping review by drawing on the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley. We will search for all study designs and grey literature using the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL, Web of Science and Global Health, Google searches and searches in websites of relevant professional bodies and charities. An iterative approach to charting, collating, summarising and reporting the data will be taken, with the development of charting forms and the final presentation of results led by the extracted data. In both instances, the inclusion and exclusion criteria have been pre-defined, and two reviewers will independently screen abstracts and full text to determine eligibility of articles. Discussion It is anticipated that our findings will map intervention strategies aiming to reduce adolescent alcohol consumption in Africa. These findings are likely to be useful in informing future research, policy and public health strategies. Findings will be disseminated widely through peer-reviewed publication and in various media, for example, conferences, congresses or symposia. Protocol Registration This protocol was submitted to the Open Science Framework on May 03, 2021. www.osf.io/qnvba

Symptoms of Alcohol Dependence Predict Suicide Ideation Among Alaskan Undergraduates

Crisis ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 232-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher R. DeCou ◽  
Monica C. Skewes
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Dependence ◽  
Suicide Ideation ◽  
Alcohol Problems ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Causal Mechanism ◽  
Students At Risk ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Alcohol Related Problems

Abstract. Background: Previous research has demonstrated an association between alcohol-related problems and suicidal ideation (SI). Aims: The present study evaluated, simultaneously, alcohol consequences and symptoms of alcohol dependence as predictors of SI after adjusting for depressive symptoms and alcohol consumption. Method: A sample of 298 Alaskan undergraduates completed survey measures, including the Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire, the Short Alcohol Dependence Data Questionnaire, and the Beck Depression Inventory – II. The association between alcohol problems and SI status was evaluated using sequential logistic regression. Results: Symptoms of alcohol dependence (OR = 1.88, p < .05), but not alcohol-related consequences (OR = 1.01, p = .95), emerged as an independent predictor of SI status above and beyond depressive symptoms (OR = 2.39, p < .001) and alcohol consumption (OR = 1.08, p = .39). Conclusion: Alcohol dependence symptoms represented a unique risk for SI relative to alcohol-related consequences and alcohol consumption. Future research should examine the causal mechanism behind the relationship between alcohol dependence and suicidality among university students. Assessing the presence of dependence symptoms may improve the accuracy of identifying students at risk of SI.

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