Citation

Vandoros S, Kawachi I. Am. J. Epidemiol. 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/aje/kwab283

PMID

34849531

Abstract

On 1 May 2018, Scotland introduced a minimum price of 50 pence per unit of alcohol, which led to a reduction in alcohol consumption. As drink-driving is an important motor vehicle collision risk factor, we examined whether this was followed by a decrease in collisions. We took advantage of a case where the minimum price was introduced to one population during the study period (Scotland), while another population that served as the control group did not experience this intervention (England and Wales). We used data on the daily number of motor vehicle collisions resulting in death or injury in 2018 and used a differences-in-differences econometric approach, comparing trends before and after the introduction of the minimum price. Controlling for seasonality, we found a small relative decrease in collisions in Scotland compared to England and Wales [diff-in-diff interaction coef: -0.35; p-value = 0.03; 95%CI: -0.65 to -0.04]. Our results suggest that there were on average between 1.52 and 1.90 fewer daily collisions in Scotland in the first months after the introduction of the policy. Further research is needed to understand any long-term impacts of minimum alcohol pricing.

Keywords: Ethanol impaired driving

Language: en

Keywords

Alcohol; minimum price; motor vehicle collisions; Scotland