Citation

Rehm J, Manthey J, Lange S, Badaras R, Zurlyte I, Passmore J, Breda J, Ferreira-Borges C, Štelemėkas M. Addiction 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės st. 18, LT-47181, Kaunas, Lithuania.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/add.14796

PMID

31475395

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 drink driving, 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% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.21-0.90%; p=0.002), the proportion of alcohol-attributable injuries by 0.60% (95% CI: 0.24-0.97%; p=0.001) and the proportion of alcohol-attributable deaths by 0.13% (95% CI: 0.10-0.15%; p<0.001).

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.

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Language: en

Keywords

Alcohol control policy; alcohol use; best buys; collisions and crashes; death; drinking driving legislation; injury; traffic