The Weakness of Stern Alcohol Control Policies.

AIMS To test the total consumption model claiming that alcohol-related ill health can best be diminished by a policy of severe restrictions and high price. METHODS The associations between an index measuring the severity of the alcohol policy, total alcohol consumption and number of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost due to alcohol were compared in 30 OECD countries in 2005. RESULTS No significant correlations were found between alcohol policy index, alcohol consumption and the number of DALYs due to alcohol use. In regression analysis, alcohol policy index and alcohol consumption were not related to alcohol-related DALYs. Excise tax rate was not related to alcohol-related DALYs (25 countries with tax rate data). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the total consumption model fails. Alcohol-related ill health seems to be mainly due to alcohol dependence, both clinical and subclinical, not to moderate drinking.