Substance Use Disorders
Commentary on the Impact of a 25-Cent-per-Drink Alcohol Tax Increase
The recent article by Daley et al.1 advocates for large increases in alcohol taxes claiming both public health benefits from reduced consumption and that almost all of the cost would be borne by high-risk drinkers. The authors rely on the assumption that the majority of drinkers impose external costs on society and that the majority of drinkers would benefit if they reduced their consumption. Neither of these assumptions holds up under scrutiny.
