The Impact of Price, Tax, and Advertising Policies on Alcohol Use in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru

Alcohol consumption in the Americas comes at a considerable cost. In 2000, it accounted for approximately 5% of all deaths and 9.7% of all disability-adjusted life years (DALY) lost. DALY is a measure of overall disease burden expressed as the number of years lost as a result of poor health, disability, or early death. There is strong evidence that policies that increase the price of alcohol and address the volume of alcohol advertising are effective at reducing alcohol consumption. Despite a relatively large body of work, nearly all studies that have examined the impact of pricing, taxation, or advertising policies on alcohol use have been conducted using data from the United States or other high-income countries. A scoping review identified a single study conducted with data from Latin America. This research project will address that gap. It will examine the impact of pricing, taxation, and advertising policies on alcohol consumption, using individual- and household-level data and rigorous statistical methods, in four South American low- and middle-income countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Researchers will link national survey data from a large number of existing datasets to price data obtained from national statistical agencies and market research organizations. It will also use self-reported prices and unit values, when available. The project will specifically aim to examine the following:-impact of alcohol pricing, taxation, and advertising policies on alcohol onset-impact of alcohol prices and taxes on the number of users vs. non-users and consumption-influence of socio-economic status, gender, and age on the relationship between alcohol pricing, taxation, and advertising policies and alcohol use-impact of tobacco prices on alcohol use.The researchers will work with knowledge-transfer platform teams and decision-makers in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru to design a tailored knowledge transfer and exchange strategy. The research will provide important evidence on the potential benefits and limitations of current tax and advertising strategies in the four countries.