The price of alcohol and the value of the ceteris paribus assumption

Abstract

There can be few topics in addiction sciences with so much current importance to public policy as the effects of price on levels of alcohol consumption and harms. The actions and apparent inactions of policy makers reflect and symbolically reinforce the position of alcohol within society. Unsurprisingly, there are extensive industry strategies to avoid or minimise policy action on price in pursuit of business interests. The strength of the research evidence on price is thus a key point of conflict between the largely nationally based interests of public health and social protection on one hand, and the economic interests of multi-national corporations on the other. In this context, the efforts of Room et al. (2009) are remarkable. Study of the effects of various price reductions and availability extensions in Denmark, Sweden and Finland appeared to contradict the research evidence by having little obvious impact on consumption, (Makela et al. 2008) and these data stimulated the present article. These uncomfortable findings have been published and grappled with, rather than buried or ignored. The international leaders of the alcohol and public health field thus demonstrate well how science should be practised