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Jan 17 '17
Taxation and other economic incentives as health-promoting tools: a focus on tobacco, alcohol, and unhealthy diets
Organizers:
- Professor Amandine Garde, University of Liverpool
- Professor Alberto Alemanno, HEC Paris
Venue:
- University of Liverpool London Campus, 33 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AG
Conference Rationale
Governments across the world increasingly recognize the urgency of lowering the alarming rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) resulting in large part from the consumption of commodities such as tobacco, alcohol, and unhealthy foods. As evidence shows price is a major determinant of consumption choices, and taxation and other economic measures may act as a disincentive to the consumption of these commodities, policy makers have started to use these instruments as part of their NCD prevention strategies.
The conference will address the following questions:
- What is the evidence base supporting tax and economic incentives as part of NCD prevention strategies? In particular, what is the importance of price in influencing consumer choices? (Evidence)
- How can / should the price be affected to limit the consumption of tobacco, alcoholic beverages, and unhealthy food? (Effectiveness)
- What are the respective advantages or disadvantages of taxation and minimum pricing measures? (Cost Effectiveness)
- What do we know of the contribution which existing price-related measures have made (or are likely to make) to NCD prevention? (Empirical Analysis)
- How should price measures – if adopted – be designed to be as effective as possible? (Design)
- When will a price measure be considered incompatible with international economic law – and international trade law and the European Union internal market law more specifically? (Legality)
Program
- 8.45-9.15:
Coffee and registration - 9.15-9.20:
Welcome and introduction
Professor Amandine Garde, University of Liverpool
Professor Alberto Alemanno, HEC Paris
- 9.20-9.30:
Opening address
Minister Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, Irish Department of Health
- 9.30-11.30
Price-based mechanisms and NCD prevention: an introduction - 9.30-9.40:
Introduction by the Chair
Professor Ian Gilmore, University of Liverpool
- 9.40-10.00:
Price, marketing strategies and NCD prevention
Professor Gerard Hastings, Stirling University
- 10.00-10.20:
Price measures and the economics of NCD prevention
Professor Franco Sassi, OECD and Imperial College London
- 10.20-11.35:
Discussion - 10.35-10.55:
The legality of price-based regulatory interventions
Professor Alberto Alemanno, HEC Paris
Professor Amandine Garde, University of Liverpool
- 10.55-11.15:
Industry practices to counter price-based regulatory interventions
Professor Simon Capewell, University of Liverpool
- 11.15-11.30:
Discussion - 11.30-11.45:
Coffee break - 11.45-13.15
Minimum unit pricing and other price-based measures intended to lower alcohol consumption - 11.45-11.55:
Introduction by the Chair
Dr. Yiannos Tolias, European Commission
- 11.55-12.05:
Alcohol pricing policies in Europe
Dr. Lars Moller, World Health Organization
- 12.05-12.20:
A historical perspective on alcohol pricing interventions
Dr. Henry Yeomans, University of Leeds
- 12.20-12.35:
The Alcohol Minimum Pricing (Scotland) Act 2012
Dr. Arianna Andreangeli, University of Edinburgh
- 12.35-12.55:
Evidencing the effectiveness of price-based health interventions in the case-law of the EU Court of Justice
Oliver Bartlett, University of Liverpool
Dr. Angus MacCulloch, University of Lancaster
- 12.55-13.15:
Discussion - 13.15-14.00:
Lunch break - 14.00-16.45 (including a coffee break)
Taxing unhealthy food: ‘soda taxes’ - 14.00-14.15:
Introduction by the Chair
Dr. Temo Waqanivalu and Jo Jewell, World Health Organization
- 14.15-14.30:
Changing the price of sugar-sweetened beverages: what is the effect on the demand for drinks and snacks more widely in the UK?
Diana Quirmbach et al., London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
- 14.30-14.45:
Impact on non-alcoholic beverage sales of a 10 pence levy on sugar-sweetened beverages within a national chain of restaurants in the UK: interrupted time-series analysis
Professor Laura Cornelsen et al., London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
- 14.45-15.00:
Price measurement and the tax incidence of behavioral taxes: empirical evidence using scanner data (France)
Professor Fabrice Etilé et al., Paris School of Economics and INRA
- 15.00-15.20:
Discussion - 15.20-15.45:
Coffee break - 15.45-16.00
Taxing soda for public health: a multidimensional perspective to support decision-making (Canada)
Yann Le Bodo et al., University of Laval
- 16.00-16.15:
Conditions influencing the adoption of a soda tax: analysis of the French case
Yann Le Bodo, University of Laval
Professor Fabrice Etilé, Paris School of Economics and INRA
- 16.15-16.45:
Discussion - 16.45-17.15:
Conclusion