HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplemental Data All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2007.131326v1 AJPH.2007.131326v2 99/8/1464    most recent Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Wagenaar, A. C. Articles by Wagenaar, B. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Wagenaar, A. C. Articles by Wagenaar, B. H. Related Collections Health Law Health Policy Alcohol

Alexander C. Wagenaar, PhD, Mildred M. Maldonado-Molina, PhD and Bradley H. Wagenaar, BA

At the time of the study, Alexander C. Wagenaar, Mildred M. Maldonado-Molina, and Bradley H. Wagenaar were with the Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Alexander C. Wagenaar, College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1329 SW 16th St, Room 5130, Box 100177, Gainesville, FL 32610-0177 (e-mail: wagenaar{at}gmail.com).

Objective. We evaluated the effects of tax increases on alcoholic beverages in 1983 and 2002 on alcohol-related disease mortality in Alaska.

Methods. We used a quasi-experimental design with quarterly measures of mortality from 1976 though 2004, and we included other states for comparison. Our statistical approach combined an autoregressive integrated moving average model with structural parameters in interrupted time-series models.

Results. We observed statistically significant reductions in the numbers and rates of deaths caused by alcohol-related disease beginning immediately after the 1983 and 2002 alcohol tax increases in Alaska. In terms of effect size, the reductions were –29% (Cohen's d = –0.57) and –11% (Cohen's d = –0.52) for the 2 tax increases. Statistical tests of temporary-effect models versus long-term-effect models showed little dissipation of the effect over time.

Conclusions. Increases in alcohol excise tax rates were associated with immediate and sustained reductions in alcohol-related disease mortality in Alaska. Reductions in mortality occurred after 2 tax increases almost 20 years apart. Taxing alcoholic beverages is an effective public health strategy for reducing the burden of alcohol-related disease.