Increasing Price of Alcohol May Reduce Drinking, Study Suggests

Increasing the minimum price of alcohol may reduce drinking, a new Canadian study suggests. The study found that for every 10 percent increase in the price of alcohol, people drank 3.4 percent less overall. Consumption was reduced by 6.8 percent for spirits and liqueurs, 8.9 percent for wine, 13.9 percent for alcoholic sodas and ciders, and 1.5 percent for beer, Reuters reports.

The study was conducted in British Columbia, where the government sets the minimum price for alcohol. The researchers at the Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia examined government data from 1989 to 2010.

The article notes the study does not prove that price increases are fully responsible for the change in drinking habits.

The study is published in the journal Addiction.