Alcohol Control Policy and Changes in Alcohol‐Related Traffic Harm
Research article
Abstract
Aims
To study the impact of alcohol control policy measures (i.e., increases in taxation, restrictions on availability including minimum purchasing age regulations, legislation on driving under the influence, and advertisement bans) on alcohol‐related traffic harm in Lithuania between January 2004 and February 2019.
Design
Analyses of trend data on the proportion of alcohol‐related collisions and crashes, alcohol‐related injury and alcohol‐related mortality, adjusting for secular trends, seasonality, periods of alcohol control measure implementation, and economic development. Generalized additive mixed models were used. Multiple sensitivity analyses were conducted.
Setting
Lithuania
Cases
Monthly number of alcohol‐related cases of traffic collisions and crashes, injuries and deaths.
Interventions and comparators
Periods of time during which new alcohol control measures were implemented and/or augmented compared to periods when they were not.
Measurements
Monthly data for 2004 to 2019 from routine statistics of the Lithuanian Road Police Service.
Findings
All indicators decreased consistently and significantly after the implementation of alcohol control measures, including increased taxation, reduction of availability, and a ban on advertisement starting in 2014. On average, each implemented policy measure permanently reduced the proportion of alcohol‐attributable crashes by 0.55%, the proportion of alcohol‐attributable injuries by 0.60% and the proportion of alcohol‐attributable deaths by 0.13%.
Conclusions
Alcohol control policy measures, including measures to reduce overall level of alcohol consumption, were associated with a marked decrease in alcohol‐related traffic harm.