Alcohol tax reform: now is the time

Doran, Christopher M; Hall, Wayne D; Vandenberg, Brian R; Harper, Todd A; Martin, Jane E; Daube, Mike

doi:10.5694/mja11.11191

Topics

To the Editor: Alcohol misuse is one of the leading causes of preventable death, illness and injury in Australia because too many Australians drink too much alcohol too often. The evidence is clear on what are the most effective strategies to curb alcohol misuse at a population level.1 By far the most effective of these is increasing the price of alcohol by increasing alcohol taxes.

1 Faculty of Medicine, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW.
2 Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD.
3 Alcohol, Tobacco and UV, Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, Melbourne, VIC.
4 Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC.
5 McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth, Curtin University, Perth, WA.

Correspondence: christopher.doran@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

1. Anderson P, Chisholm D, Fuhr DC. Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of policies and programmes to reduce the harm caused by alcohol. Lancet 2009; 373: 2234-2246.
2. Australia’s future tax system. Final report; detailed analysis. Chapter E: enhancing social and market outcomes. E5. Alcohol taxation. Canberra: Australian Government, The Treasury, 2008. http://taxreview.treasury.gov.au/content/FinalReport.aspx?doc=html/Publications/Papers/Final_Report_Part_2/chapter_e5.htm (accessed Aug 2011.
3. National Alliance for Action on Alcohol (NAAA). Reducing harm from alcohol — creating a healthier Australia. Melbourne: VicHealth, 2010.
4. National Alliance for Action on Alcohol. Reducing harm from alcohol. Creating a healthier Australia. Canberra: NAAA, 2010. http://www.phaa.net.au/documents/101126Attachmenttosub-NAAA PositionStatement-Reducingharmfromalcohol-creatingahealthierAustralia.pdf (accessed Aug 2011).
5. Australian Government. Tax reform: next steps for Australia. Tax forum discussion paper: Canberra: Australian Government, 2011. http://www.futuretax.gov.au/content/TaxForum/discussion_paper/tax_forum_next_steps_for_Australia_20110811.pdf (accessed Nov 2011).

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.