Establish minimum unit pricinga
Under this strategy, colleges or local/state/federal government sets the minimum price at which alcohol is allowed to be sold in alcohol establishments. The price may be set based on a variety of units or measures, such as per drink, per container size, or per volume of ethanol. This ensures that the price of alcohol is not discounted so much that customers are encouraged to purchase and consume more alcohol than they might otherwise.
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Effectiveness: = Higher effectiveness
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Cost: $$ = Mid-range
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Research Amount: **** = 5 or more longitudinal studies
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Public Health Reach: Broad
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Staffing Expertise Needed: Policy advocate
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Target Population: All students
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Research Population: General
a = New intervention (2019)
Effectiveness ratings are based on estimated success in achieving targeted outcomes. Cost ratings are based on a consensus among research team members of the relative program and staff costs for adoption, implementation, and maintenance of a strategy. Actual costs will vary by institution, depending on size, existing programs, and other campus and community factors. Barriers to implementing a strategy include cost and opposition, among other factors. Public health reach refers to the number of students that a strategy affects. Strategies with a broad reach affect all students or a large group of students (e.g., all underage students); strategies with a focused reach affect individuals or small groups of students (e.g., sanctioned students). Research amount/quality refers to the number and design of studies.
- Brennan, A.; Meng, Y.; Holmes, J.; et al. Potential benefits of minimum unit pricing for alcohol versus a ban on below cost selling in England 2014: Modelling study. British Medical Journal 349:g5452, 2014.
- Cousins, G.; Mongan, D.; Barry, J.; et al. Potential impact of minimum unit pricing for alcohol in Ireland: Evidence from the National Alcohol Diary Survey. Alcohol and Alcoholism 51(6):734–740, 2016.
- Giesbrecht, N.; Wettlaufer, A.; Thomas, G.; et al. Pricing of alcohol in Canada: A comparison of provincial policies and harm-reduction opportunities. Drug and Alcohol Review 35(3):289–297, 2016.
- Gill, J.; Black, H.; Rush, R.; et al. Heavy drinkers and the potential impact of minimum unit pricing—no single or simple effect? Alcohol and Alcoholism 52(6):722–729, 2017.
- Herttua, K.; Makela, P.; and Martikainen, P. Minimum prices for alcohol and educational disparities in alcohol-related mortality. Epidemiology 26(3):337–343, 2015.
- Holmes, J.; Meng, Y.; Meier, P.S.; et al. Effects of minimum unit pricing for alcohol on different income and socioeconomic groups: A modelling study. Lancet 383(9929):1655–1664, 2014.
- Meier, P.S.; Holmes, J.; Angus, C.; et al. Estimated effects of different alcohol taxation and price policies on health inequalities: A mathematical modelling study. PLoS Medicine 13(2), 2016.
- Seaman, P.; Edgar, F.; and Ikegwuonu, T. The role of alcohol price in young adult drinking cultures in Scotland. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy 20(4):278–285, 2013.
- Sharma, A.; Vandenberg, B.; and Hollingsworth, B. Minimum pricing of alcohol versus volumetric taxation: Which policy will reduce heavy consumption without adversely affecting light and moderate consumers? PLoS ONE 9(1), 2014.
- Sheron, N.; Chilcott, F.; Matthews, L.; et al. Impact of minimum price per unit of alcohol on patients with liver disease in the UK. Clinical Medicine 14(4):396–403, 2014.
- Stockwell, T.; Auld, M.C.; Zhao, J.H.; and Martin, G. Does minimum pricing reduce alcohol consumption? The experience of a Canadian province. Addiction 107(5):912–920, 2012.
- Stockwell, T.; Zhao, J.H.; Martin, G.; et al. Minimum alcohol prices and outlet densities in British Columbia, Canada: Estimated impacts on alcohol-attributable hospital admissions. American Journal of Public Health 103(11):2014–2020, 2013.
- Stockwell, T.; Zhao, J.H.; Marzell, M.; et al. Relationships between minimum alcohol pricing and crime during the partial privatization of a Canadian government alcohol monopoly. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 76(4):628–634, 2015.
- Stockwell, T.; Zhao, J.H.; Sherk, A.; et al. Assessing the impacts of Saskatchewan's minimum alcohol pricing regulations on alcohol-related crime. Drug and Alcohol Review 36(4):492–501, 2017.
- Vandenberg, B.; and Sharma, A. Are alcohol taxation and pricing policies regressive? Product-level effects of a specific tax and a minimum unit price for alcohol. Alcohol and Alcoholism 51(4):493–502, 2016.
- Zhao, J.H.; Stockwell, T.; Martin, G.; et al. The relationship between minimum alcohol prices, outlet densities and alcohol-attributable deaths in British Columbia, 2002-2009. Addiction 108(6):1059–1069, 2013.
For information about intervention designs and implementation, check the articles in the References tab.
