Alcohol taxation, alcohol consumption and cancers in Lithuania: A case study

Aims: The aim of this contribution was to estimate the impact of the last significant alcohol taxation increase in Lithuania in 2017 on alcohol consumption, incident cancer cases, and cancer mortality, as well as the number of cancer outcomes that could have potentially been averted in 2018 had larger increases in alcohol excise taxation been applied. Design: Statistical modelling was used to estimate the change in alcohol per capita consumption following the tax increase, and alcohol-attributable fraction methodology was then used to estimate the associated cancer incidence and mortality. Potential increases of current excise duties were modelled in two steps. First, beverage-specific price elasticities of demand were used to predict the associated decreases in consumption and cancer outcomes, and second, the outcomes arising from the actual numbers and the modelled numbers were compared. Method: Data were taken from the following sources: alcohol consumption data from Statistics Lithuania and the WHO, cancer data from the International Agency of Research on Cancer, and risk relations and elasticities of demand from published meta-analyses. Results: A total of 15,857 new cancer cases (8,031 in women and 7,826 in men) and 8,534 cancer deaths (3,757 in women and 4,777 in men) were recorded in Lithuania in 2018. Using the attributable fraction methodology, we estimate that 4.8% of 761 of these new cancer cases were attributable to alcohol use (284 in women; 477 in men), as well as 5.5% or 466 cancer deaths (115 in women; 351 in men). With the taxation increase of 2017, 45 new cases and 24 deaths will be averted over the next 10 years. Further taxation increases of 100% could double the number of new cancer cases averted or saved. Conclusion: In a high-consumption European country like Lithuania, alcohol use is an important and avoidable risk factor for cancer. Taxation is an important measure to reduce the alcohol-attributable cancer burden.

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The impact of alcohol use disorders and alcohol consumption on treatment-seeking individuals with social anxiety disorder

Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic ◽

10.1521/bumc.2021.85.2.100 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 85 (2) ◽

pp. 100-122

Author(s):

Mirjana Subotic-Kerry ◽

Andrew J. Baillie ◽

Lexine A. Stapinski ◽

Maree J. Abbott ◽

Jo MacDonald ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Social Anxiety ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Social Anxiety Disorder ◽

Alcohol Use Disorders ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Social Situations ◽

Low Incidence ◽

The Impact

Comorbid social anxiety and alcohol use disorders (SAD-AUD) in the community and the complex interactions that occur between these disorders have emerged as a significant clinical, public health, and research issue. The authors examined (a) the rates of comorbid SAD-AUD, (b) the impact of comorbid SAD-AUD on outcomes targeting social anxiety disorder, and (c) the effect of pretreatment alcohol consumption and alcohol use before, during, and after social situations on a composite measure of social anxiety in 172 adults presenting with social anxiety disorder. There was low incidence of AUD in this sample of individuals with SAD. Results indicated that alcohol consumption did not lead to worse social anxiety symptoms; however, alcohol use before and during social situations was associated with more severe social anxiety symptoms. These findings suggest that the function of alcohol use may be more important than the overall level of alcohol use and has implications for treatment.

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The Impact of Varenicline on Alcohol Consumption in Subjects With Alcohol Use Disorders

The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry ◽

10.4088/jcp.19r12924 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 81 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Kriti D. Gandhi ◽

Meghna P. Mansukhani ◽

Victor M. Karpyak ◽

Terry D. Schneekloth ◽

Zhen Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Alcohol Use Disorders ◽

The Impact

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Alcohol Use Disorder and Comorbid Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating the Effectiveness of Supportive Text Messages in Aiding Recovery

Alcohol and Alcoholism ◽

10.1093/alcalc/agz060 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 54 (5) ◽

pp. 551-558 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Helen O’Reilly ◽

Aisling Hagerty ◽

Seamus O’Donnell ◽

Aoife Farrell ◽

Dan Hartnett ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Alcohol Use Disorder ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Text Messages ◽

Comorbid Depression ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Lower Alcohol ◽

The Impact

This randomized controlled trial examined the impact of daily supportive text messages over a six-month treatment period on mood and alcohol consumption in individuals with a dual diagnosis of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and depression. Results highlighted mood benefits at 3-month and lower alcohol consumption at 6-month treatment points.

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The impact of parenthood on alcohol consumption trajectories: Variations as a function of timing of parenthood, familial alcoholism, and gender

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579409000352 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 661-682 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Michelle Little ◽

Elizabeth Handley ◽

Eileen Leuthe ◽

Laurie Chassin

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Emerging Adults ◽

Adolescent Mothers ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Adolescent Parents ◽

Transition To Parenthood ◽

Emerging Adult ◽

Age Related ◽

The Impact

AbstractThe current study tested the impact of the transition to parenthood on growth in alcohol consumption from early adolescence through emerging adulthood. We measured age-related discontinuity in trajectories of alcohol consumption associated with timing of the parenthood transition, above and beyond the effects of accrued educational status, gender, and time-varying marital status. We also examined the impact of a familial selection factor for the transmission of alcohol use problems, family history density of alcoholism (FHD), on both risk for adolescent parenthood and risk for adolescent parents' continuity in alcohol consumption after the parent transition within a mediation structural equation model. Premature timing of parenthood had a distinct effect on emerging adult alcohol trajectories. Although participants who became parents as emerging adults showed role-related decline in alcohol consumption, those who became parents during adolescence showed a role-related rise in emerging adult alcohol consumption. Gender moderated adolescent parents' role-related growth in emerging adult alcohol consumption. Adolescent fathers showed an adverse rise in alcohol consumption after becoming parents, whereas adolescent mothers' alcohol consumption did not change significantly. FHD was related to high adolescent alcohol consumption, which mediated risk for the incidence of early parenthood. Finally, the adverse effect of FHD on trajectories of emerging adult alcohol use was mediated by a dual pathway: (a) developmental continuity of conduct problems and (b) early transition to parenthood.

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The Global Impact of Alcohol Consumption on Premature Mortality and Health in 2016

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13093145 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 3145

Author(s):

Ivneet Sohi ◽

Ari Franklin ◽

Bethany Chrystoja ◽

Ashley Wettlaufer ◽

Jürgen Rehm ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Premature Mortality ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Premature Deaths ◽

Life Years ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

The Impact

This study aimed to estimate the impact of alcohol use on mortality and health among people 69 years of age and younger in 2016. A comparative risk assessment approach was utilized, with population-attributable fractions being estimated by combining alcohol use data from the Global Information System on Alcohol and Health with corresponding relative risk estimates from meta-analyses. The mortality and health data were obtained from the Global Health Observatory. Among people 69 years of age and younger in 2016, 2.0 million deaths and 117.2 million Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lost were attributable to alcohol consumption, representing 7.1% and 5.5% of all deaths and DALYs lost in that year, respectively. The leading causes of the burden of alcohol-attributable deaths were cirrhosis of the liver (457,000 deaths), road injuries (338,000 deaths), and tuberculosis (190,000 deaths). The numbers of premature deaths per 100,000 people were highest in Eastern Europe (155.8 deaths per 100,000), Central Europe (52.3 deaths per 100,000 people), and Western sub-Saharan Africa (48.7 deaths per 100,000). A large portion of the burden of disease caused by alcohol among people 69 years of age and younger is preventable through the implementation of cost-effective alcohol policies such as increases in taxation.

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Effect of differently worded messages about alcohol on intent to breastfeed among university women in South Korea

World Nutrition ◽

10.26596/wn.201910227-39 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 27-39

Author(s):

Ted H Greiner ◽

Igor Z Zubrzycki ◽

Boseul Jegal ◽

Sang-Sun Lee

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Heavy Drinking ◽

The Body ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

University Women ◽

Duration Of Breastfeeding ◽

Different Cultures ◽

The Impact ◽

Intention To Breastfeed

Background: There is concern that advice not to drink alcohol could discourage the initiation and particularly shorten the duration of breastfeeding. However, little research has explored the impact of variously worded messages about drinking while breastfeeding on women’s intentions to drink or to breastfeed. Methods: We haphazardly allocated a convenience sample of nulliparous (>95%) Korean female university students to be exposed to three differently worded messages on alcohol use during breastfeeding in the body of a questionnaire. Translated to English, they were as follows: Liberal: “Breastfeeding is compatible with moderate but not heavy drinking of alcohol.” Moderate: “You can use alcohol while breastfeeding, but only on rare occasions and only 1-2 drinks at a time. Too much alcohol can harm the breastfeeding process. After each drink, you should wait 2 hours before breastfeeding to keep the child from being affected.” Strict: “You should never use alcohol while you are breastfeeding.” Results: Most of the 280 valid responses expressed an intention to breastfeed. Over 90% of sampled women drank alcohol currently; 91% of them intended to reduce consumption during breastfeeding. How strictly messages were worded did not affect intention to drink during breastfeeding. Neither strict nor liberal messages reduced intention to drink alcohol while breastfeeding. The strict message clearly told the students what to do, whereas the moderate and liberal messages left choices up to them. Receiving these messages that required women to decide for themselves reduced the women’s intention to breastfeed (p<0.001). Conclusions: In this sample of largely nulliparous university women, a more strictly worded message regarding alcohol use during breastfeeding did not reduce breastfeeding intentions. Messages that left decisions up to the women did. The risk of harm associated with alcohol consumption during breastfeeding should we weighed against the risk that raising concerns about alcohol consumption might reduce the initiation or duration of breastfeeding. Research is needed to test such messages in different cultures and to follow up after delivery to see if indeed expressed intent correlates with actual practices. Until then, messages regarding breastfeeding and alcohol are likely to continue to be based only on the unexamined assumptions as to whether cautions about alcohol will affect women’s breastfeeding practices.

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Advancing alcohol research in low-income and middle-income countries: a global alcohol environment framework

BMJ Global Health ◽

10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001958 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. e001958 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Helen Walls ◽

Sarah Cook ◽

Richard Matzopoulos ◽

Leslie London

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Low Income ◽

Drinking Behaviour ◽

Drinking Patterns ◽

Full Spectrum ◽

Middle Income ◽

Alcohol Industry ◽

Systems Research ◽

The Impact

Alcohol-related harm has gained increased attention in high-income countries (HICs) in recent years which, alongside government regulation, has effected a reduction in alcohol consumption. The alcohol industry has turned its attention to low-income and middle-income country (LMIC) markets as a new source of growth and profit, prompting increased consumption in LMICS. Alcohol use in LMICs is also increasing. There is a need to understand particularly in LMICs the impact of industry strategy in shaping local contexts of alcohol use. We draw on conceptualisations from food systems research, and research on the commercial determinants of health, to develop a new approach for framing alcohol research and discuss implications for alcohol research, particularly in LMICs, focusing on South Africa as an illustrative example. We propose a conceptualisation of the ‘alcohol environment’ as the system of alcohol provision, acquisition and consumption—including, critically, industry advertising and marketing—along with the political, economic and regulatory context of the alcohol industry that mediates people’s alcohol drinking patterns and behaviours. While each country and region is different in terms of its context of alcohol use, we contrast several broadly distinct features of alcohol environments in LMICs and HICs. Improving understanding of the full spectrum of influences on drinking behaviour, particularly in LMICs, is vital to inform the design of interventions and policies to facilitate healthier environments and reduce the harms associated with alcohol consumption. Our framework for undertaking alcohol research may be used to structure mixed methods empirical research examining the role of the alcohol environment particularly in LMICs.

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Alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems during the COVID-19 pandemic: a narrative review

Australasian Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/1039856220943024 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 28 (5) ◽

pp. 524-526 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rodrigo Ramalho

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Alcohol Use Disorder ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Narrative Review ◽

Excessive Alcohol Consumption ◽

Potential Increase ◽

The Impact ◽

Alcohol Related Problems

Objective: To summarise publications reporting on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in a narrative review. Methods: ProQuest, Web of Science and Google Scholar were searched for articles published in 2020. This search used two terms: ‘alcohol’ and ‘COVID’. Reference lists of articles were reviewed to identify additional articles. Results: There is growing concern around an increase in alcohol intake and alcohol-related harms. These concerns are related to the impact of excessive alcohol consumption in a person with COVID-19 and/or with alcohol use disorder, as well as with a potential increase in the prevalence of harmful drinking, alcohol use disorder, withdrawal symptoms, intimate partner violence, harm to children, suicide, mental health problems and non-communicable diseases. The need for assessing alcohol use and providing adequate advice during the pandemic have been highlighted. Conclusion: The time for action is now, and all necessary measures to prevent an increase in alcohol-related problems should be adopted. At the same time, healthcare services should also prepare for such potential increase, while adapting to the exceptional circumstances presented by the pandemic, such as physical distancing.

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Palliative versus nonpalliative patients’ perceptions of the effect of alcohol consumption on clinical outcomes.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2017.35.31_suppl.199 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 35 (31_suppl) ◽

pp. 199-199

Author(s):

Graham McFarlane ◽

Karmugi Balaratnam ◽

Peter Selby ◽

Shabbir Alibbhai ◽

M. Catherine Brown ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Overall Survival ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Cancer Diagnosis ◽

Care Providers ◽

The Impact ◽

Palliative Patients

199 Background: Little is known about the perceptions of palliative patients on the impact of continued alcohol consumption after a cancer diagnosis and whether they are similar to the perceptions of patients who are considered potentially curative. Methods: Patients with diverse cancer subtypes were surveyed at a comprehensive cancer centre, cross-sectionally. Specifically, palliative and non-palliative cancer patients were asked about their perceptions on the benefits/harms of continued drinking on cancer-related quality of life, fatigue, and overall survival, and whether they had received information on their alcohol consumption from their health care providers. Palliative status was established by chart review. Results: Of 1049 patients, 48% were male, with median age of 58 (18-98) years; cancer sites included gastrointestinal, genitourinary, breast, thoracic, hematologic, and others; 16% were classified as being palliative at the time of survey; and 14% reported receiving counselling information on alcohol use sometime after their cancer diagnosis. Compared to curative patients, palliative patients were more likely to perceive continued alcohol consumption as harmful to their fatigue (OR=1.39, P=0.05) and survival (OR=1.45, P=0.03), but less so on quality of life (OR=1.16, P=0.35). When compared to those who had not been counselled, informed patients were twice as likely (OR=2.01, P<0.01) to perceive continued drinking as harmful to their levels of fatigue, although there was less of a difference in their perception of quality of life (OR =1.39, P=0.20) and survival (OR=1.40, P=0.19). Conclusions: Palliative patients are more likely to perceive continued alcohol consumption as harmful to their fatigue and overall survival, when compared to non-palliative patients, especially after receiving counselling. Given the lack of data on the benefits or harm of mild-moderate alcohol use and a strong emphasis on quality of life, future research should focus on effects of alcohol in palliative patients, and there should be improved education to both providers and patients on regarding the current lack of information.

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