The relationship between alcohol price and brand choice among underage drinkers: are the most popular alcoholic brands consumed by youth the cheapest?

We examined the influence of price on alcohol brand choice among underage youth. Using a national sample of 1,032 youth, ages 13-20, recruited from a national Internet panel in 2011-2012, we compared differences in mean prices between popular and unpopular brands, examined the association of price and brand popularity using logistic regression, and rank ordered the average price of top brands. Lower brand-specific prices were significantly associated with higher levels of past 30-day consumption prevalence. However, youth did not preferentially consume the cheapest brands. These findings indicate that youth have preferences for certain brands, even if those brands cost more than competing brands. Our study highlights the need for research on the impact of brand-specific alcohol marketing on underage drinking.

State-specific liquor excise taxes and retail prices in 8 US states, 2012.

The authors investigated the relationship between state excise taxes and liquor prices in 8 states, using 2012 data for 45 brands. The authors made 6042 price observations among 177 liquor stores with online prices. Using a hierarchical model, the authors examined the relationship between excise taxes and product prices. State excise taxes were significantly related to liquor prices, with an estimated pass-through rate of 0.93. The proportion of price accounted for by excise taxes averaged 7.0%. The authors find that excise taxes do increase the price of alcohol, but states are not taking advantage of this opportunity to reduce alcohol-related morbidity and mortality.

Differences in liquor prices between control state-operated and license-state retail outlets in the United States.

AIMS: This study aims to compare the average price of liquor in the United States between retail alcohol outlets in states that have a monopoly ('control' states) with those that do not ('licence' states). DESIGN: A cross-sectional study of brand-specific alcohol prices in the United States. SETTING: We determined the average prices in February 2012 of 74 brands of liquor among the 13 control states that maintain a monopoly on liquor sales at the retail level and among a sample of 50 license-state liquor stores, using their online-available prices. MEASUREMENTS: We calculated average prices for 74 brands of liquor by control versus license state. We used a random-effects regression model to estimate differences between control and license state prices-overall and by alcoholic beverage type. We also compared prices between the 13 control states. FINDINGS: The overall mean price for the 74 brands was $27.79 in the license states [95% confidence interval (CI): $25.26-30.32] and $29.82 in the control states (95% CI: $26.98-32.66). Based on the random-effects linear regression model, the average liquor price was approximately $2 lower (6.9% lower) in license states. CONCLUSIONS: In the United States monopoly of alcohol retail outlets appears to be associated with slightly higher liquor prices.

Household smoking bans and adolescent antismoking attitudes and smoking initiation: findings from a longitudinal study of a Massachusetts youth cohort.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine whether adolescents living in households in which smoking was banned were more likely to develop antismoking attitudes and less likely to progress to smoking compared with those living in households in which smoking was not banned. METHODS: We completed a longitudinal 4-year, 3-wave study of a representative sample of 3834 Massachusetts youths aged 12 to 17 years at baseline; 2791 (72.8%) were reinterviewed after 2 years, and 2217 (57.8%) were reinterviewed after 4 years. We used a 3-level hierarchical linear model to analyze the effect of a household ban on antismoking attitudes and smoking behaviors. RESULTS: The absence of a household smoking ban increased the odds that youths perceived a high prevalence of adult smoking, among both youths living with a smoker (odds ratio [OR] = 1.56; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.15, 2.13) and those living with nonsmokers (OR = 1.75; 95% CI = 1.29, 2.37). Among youths who lived with nonsmokers, those with no home ban were more likely to transition from nonsmoking to early experimentation (OR = 1.89; 95% CI = 1.30, 2.74) than were those with a ban. CONCLUSIONS: Home smoking bans may promote antismoking attitudes among youths and reduce progression to smoking experimentation among youths who live with nonsmokers.

Effect of smoking regulations in local restaurants on smokers' anti-smoking attitudes and quitting behaviours.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of smoking regulations in local restaurants on anti-smoking attitudes and quitting behaviours among adult smokers. DESIGN: Hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) was used to assess the relationship between baseline strength of town-level restaurant smoking regulation and follow-up (1) perceptions of the social acceptability of smoking and (2) quitting behaviours. SETTING: Each of the 351 Massachusetts towns was classified as having strong (complete smoking ban) or weak (all other and no smoking restrictions) restaurant smoking regulations. SUBJECTS: 1712 adult smokers of Massachusetts aged > or = 18 years at baseline who were interviewed via random-digit-dial telephone survey in 2001-2 and followed up 2 years later. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Perceived social acceptability of smoking in restaurants and bars, and making a quit attempt and quitting smoking. RESULTS: Among adult smokers who had made a quit attempt at baseline, living in a town with a strong regulation was associated with a threefold increase in the odds of making a quit attempt at follow-up (OR = 3.12; 95% CI 1.51 to 6.44). Regulation was found to have no effect on cessation at follow-up. A notable, although marginal, effect of regulation was observed for perceiving smoking in bars as socially unacceptable only among smokers who reported at baseline that smoking in bars was socially unacceptable. CONCLUSIONS: Although local restaurant smoking regulations did not increase smoking cessation rates, they did increase the likelihood of making a quit attempt among smokers who had previously tried to quit, and seem to reinforce anti-social smoking norms among smokers who already viewed smoking in bars as socially unacceptable.

Effect of local restaurant smoking regulations on environmental tobacco smoke exposure among youths.

OBJECTIVES: We examined the effect of local restaurant smoking regulations on restaurant environmental tobacco smoke exposure among youths. METHODS: We interviewed 3863 Massachusetts youths aged 12-17 years and ascertained how often they saw smokers in restaurants in their town. We assessed the effect of local restaurant smoking regulation strength on nonexposure to environmental tobacco smoke (seeing smokers never or only rarely). RESULTS: Compared with youths from towns with weak regulations, youths from towns with medium-strength regulations had 1.4 times the odds (odds ratio = 1.36; 95% confidence interval = 1.12, 1.65) and youths from towns with strong regulations had twice the odds (odds ratio = 2.03; 95% confidence interval = 1.64, 2.52) of reporting nonexposure. CONCLUSIONS: Strong local restaurant smoking regulations are associated with reduced environmental tobacco smoke exposure among youths