Are alcohol prices and binge drinking linked? Could raising the price of alcohol reduce binge drinking?

Heavy episodic drinking is often called binge drinking. It is a serious health risk. Especially among young people. How can binge drinking be reduced?

Proposals

A variety of approaches are promoted.

• • More law enforcement.
  • Higher alcohol prices.
  • More alcohol education.
  • More law enforcement.
  • Higher server liability.
  • More severe penalties.
  • Bigger warning labels on alcohol containers.
  • More restrictions on the  number of retail sales outlets.
  • Imposing  prohibition. (Almost one of every five Americans supports prohibition.)
  • More restrictions on alcohol advertising.

Forcing higher alcohol prices has many supporters. They think it would be good  public health policy.

Are Alcohol Prices and Binge Drinking Related?

Are alcohol prices and binge drinking related? A review of research on the subject was made. Fifty-six econometric studies were found. Five natural experiments of tax reductions and six field studies were also found.

The outcomes examined were these. The incidence, the intensity, and the  frequency of binge drinking.

In over half the studies there were either no relationships or mixed relationships.

Evidence

The overall evidence shows that the behavior of binge drinkers is not highly-responsive to increased prices. This finding held for both men and women. It also held across different age groups.

The author conclusion? That increasing the prices of alcohol would probably not be an effective. It would not reduce the incidence or severity of binge drinking. This would be true regardless of gender or age. Raising prices could be by taxes or otherwise.