The effect of price increases on predicted alcohol purchasing decisions and choice to substitute

Introduction: Few studies have undertaken to explore whether people who consume particular alcoholic beverages have a greater tendency to substitute with cheaper alcohol in response to price increases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of price increases on alcohol purchasing decisions, specifically the influence on brand and cross-beverage substitution across demographic, drinking level and socio-economic factors. Method: Data on participants’ alcohol purchasing habits and consumption were collected via an online survey, including their reactions to three price increases to alcoholic beverages types previously purchased. Data were analysed using logistic regression, with substitution behaviour the dependent variable, controlling for demographic and socio-economic factors. Results: Responses to different price increases varied by drinking level, which was consistently and significantly associated with likelihood of substitution behaviour across beverage types. For a 50% increase in price, regardless of whether participants purchased beer, wine, bottled spirits or premixed spirits, drinking at levels which put participants at high risk of short-term harms was associated with a higher likelihood of substitution with cheaper brands or beverage types (OR: 1.729; OR: 1.787; OR: 1.729 and OR: 1.729, respectively). Conclusions: No consistent trends in responses occurred according to respondent characteristics, suggesting that increasing price may be an effective tool to influence purchasing behaviour across the population. Results also suggested that those who drink at levels which put them at high risk of short-term harms may be more likely to circumvent price increases by switching to a cheaper product

Exploring Consumer Acceptance of Entomophagy: A Survey and Experiment in Australia and the Netherlands

Insects are nutritious and suitable for human consumption. In this article an overview of research on consumer acceptance of entomophagy is given. This study furthermore provides insight into which factors are effective to influence consumer acceptance of entomophagy among Dutch and Australian participants. Based on the findings of this study, information about entomophagy and providing the participants with the opportunity to try insect food, both seem to be equally important when trying to positively influence their attitude toward entomophagy. The outcomes of this study show that "educating" consumers about entomophagy should be practiced in its broadest sense. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

A systematic literature review of off-site outlet density and alcohol-related harm

Introduction and Aims: The burden of alcohol-related harm on global health is considerable. In recent years there has been a rapid rise in research into the control of alcohol outlet density in order to reduce alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm and increased interest in the causal role of off-outlets in particular. Previous reviews have focussed on either the outlet density literature as a whole or specifically on on-site outlets, no reviews to date have focused solely on effects of off-site outlet on health and crime outcomes. This review aims to consolidate the existing literature on the effect off-site outlet density on alcohol-related harm, weigh the quality and consistency of existing evidence for off-site outlet density effects and identify gaps in the literature. Design and Methods: All peer reviewed articles published prior to 20th January 2015, which investigated associations between off-site outlet density, heat h and crime were systematically reviewed. The review identified 114 relevant publications which were categorised according to quality of design; 36 publications were deemed to have sufficiently robust designs as to be included in the analysis.Results: Of the 36 studies in the final review, 25 (70%) found significant positive associations between off-site outlet density and a range of harms including, but not limited to, assault, gonorrhoea, suicide, risky alcohol use and alcohol-related mortality. Discussion and Conclusions: A dominance of low quality study designs, lack of geographic diversity of study origins, and varied harm outcomes and methodologies complicate the interpretation of results, however, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that the control of off-site outlet density is an effective means of reducing alcohol-related harm. Disclosure of Interest Statement: The authors are employed by the National Drug Research Institute, which is funded by the National Drug Strategy, Commonwealth Department of Health. The topic, direction, content, analyses and issues identified in the article were solely the work of the authors and there was no intellectual involvement either directly or indirectly by any of these institutions

National alcohol indicators project - Bulletin 14: Trends in estimated alcohol-related emergency department presentations in Australia, 2005-06 to 2011-12

NAIP Bulletin 14 is the first Australian publication to document nationwide trends over time in alcohol-related ED presentations. The bulletin shows estimated trends in alcohol-related ED presentations based on presentations with an 'injury' related primary diagnosis on weekend nights. Presentation rates were higher among males than females across all jurisdictions, however the rate that Australian women presented at emergency departments (ED) on weekends for alcohol-related injuries increased faster than for males. Rates of teenage presentations were higher than any of the other age groups, likely indicating higher prevalence of alcohol-related night time weekend ED presentations for teenagers

Effect of the Australian "Alcopops Tax" on Alcohol-Related Emergency Department Presentations for Injury in Two States

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a specific tax increase on ready-to-drink beverages (the "alcopops" tax) on male injuries presenting to emergency departments during times likely to be highly alcohol related in two Australian states. METHOD: Poisson regression was used to compare annual risk of Western Australian and Victorian male emergency department injuries occurring during high alcohol-related times before and after the implementation of the alcopops tax. A range of age groups was examined. Surrogate methodology was applied to identify numbers of emergency department injuries that occurred during high and low alcohol-related times. RESULTS: Risk of injury during high alcohol-related times (incident rate ratio [IRR]) was lower among Western Australian 12- to 15-year-olds beginning from the year of the tax increase and continued throughout. Lower IRRs were also apparent for 15- to 19-year-olds, although some delay was implicated. There was no change for 12- to 15-year-old Victorians, but immediate declines were evident for 15- to 19-year-olds. To a lesser extent, delayed effects were also indicated for 20- to 29-year-olds in both states. There was no evidence of a change in injury risk during high alcohol-related times among the oldest age group (35-39 years). CONCLUSIONS: Previous research on beverage-specific taxes has suggested that they may increase alcohol-related harms among the target group. This study found no evidence of increased injury during high alcohol-related times associated with the alcopops tax in two states. Evidence of reduced harm was apparent, however, and strongest for Western Australian males aged 19 years and younger. These outcomes are consistent with documented national reductions in alcopops sales