Alcohol study released

Increasing taxes on alcohol, reducing its availability and banning alcohol marketing would bring significant health gains for New Zealanders, particularly for Māori, a modelling study from researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington shows

The modelling looked at the impact of several measures – a 50 per cent increase in the tax on alcohol; reducing the number of outlets selling alcohol from 63 to five outlets per 100,000 people; cutting the number of hours outlets could open from 112 to 50 a week; and banning all forms of alcohol marketing.

The results of the study are published in the scientific journal Addiction.

The research team found each of the changes would cut alcohol consumption by between 7.6 and 9 per cent when applied individually, and 30 per cent as part of a total package.