Attitudes and beliefs towards alcohol minimum pricing in Western Australia (original) (raw)
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Western Australian Public Opinions of a Minimum Pricing Policy for Alcohol: Study Protocol
JMIR research protocols, 2015
Excessive alcohol consumption has significant adverse economic, social, and health outcomes. Recent estimates suggest that the annual economic costs of alcohol in Australia are up to AUD $36 billion. Policies influencing price have been demonstrated to be very effective in reducing alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harms. Interest in minimum pricing has gained traction in recent years. However, there has been little research investigating the level of support for the public interest case of minimum pricing in Australia. This article describes protocol for a study exploring Western Australian (WA) public knowledge, understanding, and reaction to a proposed minimum price policy per standard drink. The study will employ a qualitative methodological design. Participants will be recruited from a wide variety of backgrounds, including ethnic minorities, blue and white collar workers, unemployed, students, and elderly/retired populations to participate in focus groups. Focus group pa...
A review of public opinion towards alcohol controls in Australia
BMC Public Health, 2011
Background: Increasing concern about the negative impact of alcohol on the Australian community has renewed calls for tighter regulatory controls. This paper reviews levels of and trends in public support for liquor control regulations, regulation of alcohol promotions, and alcohol pricing and taxation reforms in Australia between 1998 and 2009. Methods: Six electronic databases and twenty public health and alcohol organisation websites were searched for research literature, reports and media releases describing levels of public support for alcohol controls. Only studies which randomly selected participants were included. Results: Twenty-one studies were included in the review. The majority of the Australian public support most proposed alcohol controls. Levels of support are divided between targeted and universal controls. Conclusions: Implementation of targeted alcohol policies is likely to be strongly supported by the Australian public, but universal controls are liable to be unpopular. Policy makers are provided with insights into factors likely to be associated with higher public support.
Public attitudes towards alcohol control policies
Australian Journal of Public Health, 1991
In August 1989 we surveyed a household sample of 500 adults from 84 randomly selected census collector districts in metropolitan and rural New South Wales about their support for 'alcohol control policies' that aim to reduce the prevalence of alcohol-related problems by lowering population alcohol consumption. There was very little support for policies which increased the price or reduced the availability of alcohol. There was moderate support for controls on alcohol advertising, and substantial opposition to policies that would reduce the price of alcohol or increase its availability. Approval for alcohol control policies was more likely to be expressed by women and by persons whose self-reported alcohol consumption was low. If these findings from New South Wales are representative of Australian attitudes then DroDonents of alcohol control policies face a major task in persuading the public to support & I them. (Aust J Public Health 1961; 15: 301-6) n the past 15 years a number of influential researchers in the alcohol field have advocated
Drug and Alcohol Review, 2009
Introduction and Aims. Drawing on 16 items in the 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), the paper explores the degree to which Australian public opinion towards different alcohol policies cohere or diverge, and the social location of support for and resistance to more restrictive alcohol controls. Variations in support for particular policies by demographic groups, across states and territories and among those with difference drinking patterns are explored. The extent and direction in which attitudes have changed over time was determined. Design and Methods. Sixteen items from the 2004 NDSHS were subjected to factor analysis. Both a single factor and a four-factor solution were derived and became the dependent variables for state/territory comparisons and multiple regression analyses determining the predictive power of respondents demographics and drinking behaviour. Trends over time in alcohol policy attitudes used the 1993, 1995, 1998, 2001 and 2004 NDSHS. Results. More severe penalties against drink driving and stricter laws against serving customers who were drunk had the strongest support while policies that controlled accessibility to alcohol such as reducing trading hours received the least support. For all policies support was greater among females, older respondents and those drinking less. The individual's drinking pattern was as strong, and in some cases a stronger predictor of support than gender and age. Discussion and Conclusions. While support for the majority of the alcohol policies decreased over the 11-year period since 1993, attitudes may be influenced and changed over a shorter period of time.[Wilkinson C, Room R, Livingston M. Mapping Australian public opinion on alcohol policies in the new millennium. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009]
The International journal on drug policy, 2013
A burgeoning body of empirical evidence demonstrates that increases in the price of alcohol can reduce per capita alcohol consumption and harmful drinking. Taxes on alcohol can be raised to increase prices, but this strategy can be undermined if the industry absorbs the tax increase and cross-subsidises the price of one alcoholic beverage with other products. Such loss-leading strategies are not possible with minimum pricing. We argue that a minimum (or floor) price for alcohol should be used as a complement to alcohol taxation. Several jurisdictions have already introduced minimum pricing (e.g., Canada, Ukraine) and others are currently investigating pathways to introduce a floor price (e.g., Scotland). Tasked by the Australian government to examine the public interest case for a minimum price, Australia's peak preventative health agency recommended against setting one at the present time. The agency was concerned that there was insufficient Australian specific modelling eviden...
Mapping Australian public opinion on alcohol policies in the new millennium
Drug and Alcohol Review, 2009
Introduction and Aims. Drawing on 16 items in the 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), the paper explores the degree to which Australian public opinion towards different alcohol policies cohere or diverge, and the social location of support for and resistance to more restrictive alcohol controls. Variations in support for particular policies by demographic groups, across states and territories and among those with difference drinking patterns are explored.The extent and direction in which attitudes have changed over time was determined. Design and Methods. Sixteen items from the 2004 NDSHS were subjected to factor analysis. Both a single factor and a four-factor solution were derived and became the dependent variables for state/territory comparisons and multiple regression analyses determining the predictive power of respondents demographics and drinking behaviour.Trends over time in alcohol policy attitudes used Results. More severe penalties against drink driving and stricter laws against serving customers who were drunk had the strongest support while policies that controlled accessibility to alcohol such as reducing trading hours received the least support. For all policies support was greater among females, older respondents and those drinking less.The individual's drinking pattern was as strong, and in some cases a stronger predictor of support than gender and age. Discussion and Conclusions. While support for the majority of the alcohol policies decreased over the 11-year period since 1993, attitudes may be influenced and changed over a shorter period of time. [Wilkinson C, Room R, Livingston M. Mapping Australian public opinion on alcohol policies in the new millennium. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009;28:263-274]
Heavy Drinkers’ Perspectives on Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol in Scotland
SAGE Open, 2016
The irrefutable consequence of Scottish excessive alcohol consumption has prompted implementation and proposal of alcohol policy measures. The purpose of this study is to explore with heavy drinkers their awareness of and identify potential implications of policy introducing alcohol minimum unit pricing (MUP). Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with drinkers with alcohol-related harm ( n = 20; 15 males, five females; aged 34 to 67 years old) in Scotland’s two largest cities (drinkers were participants within a larger quantitative study, through attendance for treatment for alcohol-related harms at National Health Service [NHS] centers). Median weekly consumption among participants was 130.7 units (range: 28-256.3 U.K. units). Views regarding the impact of increased alcohol prices, through MUP, were mixed. While some drinkers indicated potential reduction in intake, thus possibly reducing alcohol harms in the long term, the expected, or even desired, from a public...
Mapping Australian public opinion on alcohol policies in the new millenium
Drug and Alcohol Review, 2009
Introduction and Aims. Drawing on 16 items in the 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), the paper explores the degree to which Australian public opinion towards different alcohol policies cohere or diverge, and the social location of support for and resistance to more restrictive alcohol controls. Variations in support for particular policies by demographic groups, across states and territories and among those with difference drinking patterns are explored.The extent and direction in which attitudes have changed over time was determined. Design and Methods. Sixteen items from the 2004 NDSHS were subjected to factor analysis. Both a single factor and a four-factor solution were derived and became the dependent variables for state/territory comparisons and multiple regression analyses determining the predictive power of respondents demographics and drinking behaviour.Trends over time in alcohol policy attitudes used Results. More severe penalties against drink driving and stricter laws against serving customers who were drunk had the strongest support while policies that controlled accessibility to alcohol such as reducing trading hours received the least support. For all policies support was greater among females, older respondents and those drinking less.The individual's drinking pattern was as strong, and in some cases a stronger predictor of support than gender and age. Discussion and Conclusions. While support for the majority of the alcohol policies decreased over the 11-year period since 1993, attitudes may be influenced and changed over a shorter period of time. [Wilkinson C, Room R, Livingston M. Mapping Australian public opinion on alcohol policies in the new millennium. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009;28:263-274]