The Economics of Addictive Behaviours Volume II: The Private and Social Costs of the Abuse of Alcohol and Their Remedies

128 Pages·2017·3.26 MB·English

by  John Joshua (auth.)

The Economics of Addictive
Behaviours Volume II
JohnJoshua
The Economics
of Addictive
Behaviours Volume II
The Private and Social Costs of the Abuse of Alcohol
and Their Remedies
JohnJoshua
DeakinUniversity
Melbourne,Victoria,Australia
ISBN978-3-319-54424-3 ISBN978-3-319-54425-0(eBook)
DOI10.1007/978-3-319-54425-0
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2016954960
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C
ONTENTS
1 Introduction 1
2 The Worldwide ConsumptionofAlcohol 5
1 Introduction 5
3 The Causes andStagesof Alcohol Abuse:From Initiation
toAlcohol Dependence 11
1 Introduction 11
4 The Consequences of AlcoholAbuse 19
1 Introduction 19
5 The Prevention andTreatmentof AlcoholAbuse 37
1 Introduction 37
6 Legal Remedies toReduceAlcohol Consumption 49
1 Introduction 49
7 The Market andthe Social andPrivate Costsof Alcohol
Abuse 59
1 Introduction 59
8 EconomicRemedies to ReduceAlcoholAbuse 73
1 Elasticitiesand the Demandfor Alcohol 74
vii
viii CONTENTS
2 Taxation Policies to ReducetheAbuse of Alcohol 80
3 Minimum PricePolicies andthe Abuse ofAlcohol 90
9 The Politics ofCorporate and SocialResponsibilities 93
1 Corporate Social Responsibilitiesand Policies 94
2 Corporate Responsibilitiesand Social Costs 95
10 Conclusion 101
References 103
Index 119
L F
IST OF IGURES
Fig.3.1 Thefourdifferentphaseofalcoholuse 12
Fig.3.2 Thepathwaysfrominitiationtochronicandacutediseases 15
Fig.4.1 Theanxiolyticuseofalcohol 32
Fig.8.1 Effectsofanexcisetaxwhenabsorbedbyproducer 75
Fig.8.2 Effectsofanexcisetaxwhenpassedontoconsumers 76
ix
CHAPTER1
Introduction
Abstract Thisisthesecondvolumeofafour-volumeseriesentitled“The
Economics of Addictive Behaviours”. As behavioural diseases are essen-
tially multidisciplinary, this book takes a multidisciplinary approach. This
bookdescribesthepatternsoftheconsumptionofalcoholandtheworld-
wide risk factors of alcohol abuse. The causes and the stages of alcohol
abuse from initiation to alcohol dependence, including the chronic and
acute diseases and social problems which may follow from alcohol abuse,
arediscussedfollowedwiththepreventionandtreatmentofalcoholabuse.
Legal remedies to reduce the abuse of alcohol, and economic remedies,
includingtheelasticitiesandthedemandforalcohol,taxationpoliciesand
minimumpricepoliciesarediscussedindetailsfollowedwithadiscussion
of corporateandsocialresponsibilities.
Keywords Behavioural diseases (cid:1) Economic policies (cid:1) Alcohol as a
psychoactivedrug (cid:1)Alcohol abuse anddependence
Thestudiesofbehaviouraldiseasesareessentiallymultidisciplinaryandso
are the solutions to problems of addiction. Various disciplines are able to
complementeachotherinanyunderstandingofbehaviouraldiseases.Like
smoking, the use of illicit drugs and overeating, the consumption of
alcohol is a matter of lifestyle for many; indeed, alcohol and nicotine are
the most widely abused drugs. The impact of the four types of lifestyle
©TheAuthor(s)2017 1
J.Joshua,TheEconomicsofAddictiveBehavioursVolumeII,
DOI10.1007/978-3-319-54425-0_1
2 J.JOSHUA
behaviour as discussed in these four volumes is considerable in terms of
socialcostsand thedevelopmentof diseases.
The costs and consequences of such four behavioural diseases are
substantial in terms of epidemiological, economic and social effects and
are described in the four volumes of “The Economics of Behavioural
Diseases”. This volume is the second volume and describes the “Abuse
ofAlcohol:ThePrivateandSocialCostsandTheirRemedies”.Economic
policies can make a vital contribution towards the reduction in the abuse
of alcohol as they may reduce the consumption as well as the supply of
alcohol and thereby may also increase the effectiveness of policies to
reduce the detrimentaleffectsof alcoholabuse.
Alcoholisapsychoactivedrug;however,incontrasttootherpsychoac-
tive drugs, alcohol has been widely culturally accepted in Western coun-
tries,exceptinisolatedsituationsforashorttime,ithasbeenlegallywidely
available.Alcoholisoneofthemostuseddrugsandishighlydetrimental
to health. Policies to reduce the abuse of alcohol may operate on the
supply and demand side of alcohol; whereas programmes of preventions
and treatment operate on the demand side of alcohol abuse, legislations
aredirectedatthesupplysideofalcohol;thatis,itdealswiththemarket-
ing mix: product, promotion,point ofsales andprice.
The first chapter provides a general overview of what will be discussed
in thisbookon theabuse of alcoholanditsremedies.
Thesecondchapterisdividedintotwosections:(a)thepatternsofthe
consumption of alcohol and (b) the worldwide risk factors of alcohol
abuse. The first section is an overview of the worldwide consumption of
alcohol.Thesecondsectiondescribesthedetrimentaleffectsonhealthof
alcohol abuse. The abuse of alcohol accounts for about 4.0% of deaths
worldwide and4.65%of diseases andinjuries.
Chapter 3 explains the causes and stages of alcohol abuse: from initia-
tion to alcohol dependence, and is divided into two sections: (a) living
conditions and alcohol abuse and (b) the pathways from initiation to
alcohol dependence. Various conditions, including living conditions and
socio-demographics which may contribute towards the abuse of alcohol,
will also be explained. The association between unemployment, suicide
and abuse of alcohol is also described. Users of alcohol may go through
differentstages;thatis,fromtheinitiationtoalcoholdependence.Eachof
the stages requires different types of interventions which are described.
Theabuseofalcoholmayeventuallyleadtochronicandacutediseasesand
chronic andacutesocialproblems.