Availability restrictions and alcohol consumption: A case of restricted hours of alcohol sales in Russian regions

Abstract

Kolosnitsyna, M., Sitdikov, M., & Khorkina, N. (2014). Availability restrictions and alcohol consumption: A case of restricted hours of alcohol sales in Russian regions. The International Journal Of Alcohol And Drug Research, 3(3), 193 – 201. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v3i3.154Aim: To determine how new restrictions on hours of alcohol retail sales influence alcohol consumption in Russia.Design: Natural experiment with combined regional and micro-data.Setting/Participants: Cross-sectional samples from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey, corresponding to waves 18 and 19, years 2009–2010, 32 Russian regions and more than 7,000 adults (aged 15 and up) consuming alcohol at least once per month.Measures: Descriptive analysis of per capita alcohol sales at the regional level and regression analysis of pure spirit consumption at the individual level, controlling for various socioeconomic factors, including sales bans.Findings: We revealed a significant positive correlation between the amount of alcohol consumed and the number of hours of allowed alcohol sales when other factors were controlled. The results gained from analyzing the micro-data were confirmed using the regional sales information. In terms of drinking reduction, sales restrictions in the evening hours seem more efficient than restrictions in the morning hours. Restricted hours of sale do not increase consumption of beer or home-distilled alcohol.Conclusions: Alcohol consumption depends on the hours of sale, all else being equal. Restricting the legal hours of alcohol sales in Russian regions has the potential to reduce consumption levels. These findings indicate a need for a further reduction in sales hours in the regions where heavy drinking is especially widespread.

Do alcohol pricing and availability policies have differential effects on sub-populations? A commentary

“…Kolosnitsyna, Sitdikov, & Khorkina (2014) used cross-sectional samples from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey to examine the impacts of a natural experiment involving variations in hours of sale. They concluded that restrictions in hours of sale, especially evening hours, were linked with lower consumption levels.…”

The effect of alcohol outlets, sales and trading hours on alcohol‐related injuries presenting at emergency departments in Perth, Australia, from 2002 to 2010

“…More recent research from Norway suggests that a one hour increase in trading hours on weekend nights affects a 20% increase in violent crime in city centres (20). Other recent studies from Russia, Brazil, the Netherlands and the USA concur that there is a link between extended trading hours, increased alcohol consumption (21), injuries (22) and violent crime (23,24).…”

Una riflessione sull'efficacia delle politiche preventive per il controllo dei consumi di bevande alcoliche

“…In letteratura alcune fonti riportano l'efficacia protettiva delle politiche restrittive sul consumo di bevande alcoliche (aumento di tasse e prezzi e abbassamento dell'età minima per l'acquisto di bevande alcoliche) nei confronti dei tassi di suicidio (Pridemore et al, 2009(Pridemore et al, , 2013Xuan et al, 2016). Limitazioni alla disponibilità di, e accessibilità a, luoghi e orari di vendita sono state dimostrate associarsi a minori consumi alcolici e a minori danni alcol-correlati (Gruenewald, 2011;Wicki e Gmel, 2011;Kypri et al, 2011;Cook et al, 2014;Kolosnitsyna et al, 2014), mentre l'estensione degli orari e l'aumento di densità dei punti vendita aumentano i danni associati al bere (Stockwell & Chikritzhs 2009;Hahn et al, 2010;Lippy et al, 2014;Xuan et al, 2015). In modo opposto, tuttavia, Green, Heywood e Navarro (2014) hanno rilevato un'associazione tra l'estensione degli orari di chiusura dei bar in Inghilterra e in Galles e una diminuzione degli incidenti stradali, specie tra gli automobilisti giovani.…”