. 2021 Mar 2;18(5):2419.

doi: 10.3390/ijerph18052419.

Classifying Alcohol Control Policies with Respect to Expected Changes in Consumption and Alcohol-Attributable Harm: The Example of Lithuania, 2000-2019

Jürgen Rehm^{1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8}, Mindaugas Štelemėkas^{9

10}, Carina Ferreira-Borges¹¹, Huan Jiang^{1

2}, Shannon Lange^{1

2}, Maria Neufeld^{1

2

3

11}, Robin Room^{12

13}, Sally Casswell¹⁴, Alexander Tran^{1

2}, Jakob Manthey^{3

4

15}

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 33 Ursula Franklin Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, Canada.
² Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, CAMH, 250 College Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada.
³ Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Longitudinal Studies, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46, 01187 Dresden, Germany.
⁴ Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research (ZIS), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, 8th Floor, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada.
⁶ Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, 6th Floor, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada.
⁷ Institute of Medical Science (IMS), University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, Room 2374, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
⁸ Department of International Health Projects, Institute for Leadership and Health Management, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Trubetskaya Str., 8, b. 2, 119992 Moscow, Russia.
⁹ Health Research Institute, Faculty of Public Health, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės Str. 18, 47181 Kaunas, Lithuania.
¹⁰ Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės Str. 18, 47181 Kaunas, Lithuania.
¹¹ WHO European Office for Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, Leontyevsky Pereulok 9, 125009 Moscow, Russia.
¹² Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, Building NR-1, La Trobe University, Plenty Rd. x Kingsbury Rd., Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia.
¹³ Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs, Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University, 3rd Floor, Sveavägen 160, 113 46 Stockholm, Sweden.
¹⁴ SHORE and Whariki Research Centre, College of Health, Massey University, 90 Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand.
¹⁵ Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Semmelweisstraße 10, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.

PMID: 33801260
PMCID: PMC7967552
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052419

Classifying Alcohol Control Policies with Respect to Expected Changes in Consumption and Alcohol-Attributable Harm: The Example of Lithuania, 2000-2019

Jürgen Rehm et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021.

. 2021 Mar 2;18(5):2419.

doi: 10.3390/ijerph18052419.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 33 Ursula Franklin Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, Canada.
² Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, CAMH, 250 College Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada.
³ Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Longitudinal Studies, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46, 01187 Dresden, Germany.
⁴ Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research (ZIS), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, 8th Floor, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada.
⁶ Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, 6th Floor, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada.
⁷ Institute of Medical Science (IMS), University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, Room 2374, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
⁸ Department of International Health Projects, Institute for Leadership and Health Management, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Trubetskaya Str., 8, b. 2, 119992 Moscow, Russia.
⁹ Health Research Institute, Faculty of Public Health, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės Str. 18, 47181 Kaunas, Lithuania.
¹⁰ Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės Str. 18, 47181 Kaunas, Lithuania.
¹¹ WHO European Office for Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, Leontyevsky Pereulok 9, 125009 Moscow, Russia.
¹² Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, Building NR-1, La Trobe University, Plenty Rd. x Kingsbury Rd., Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia.
¹³ Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs, Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University, 3rd Floor, Sveavägen 160, 113 46 Stockholm, Sweden.
¹⁴ SHORE and Whariki Research Centre, College of Health, Massey University, 90 Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand.
¹⁵ Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Semmelweisstraße 10, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.

PMID: 33801260
PMCID: PMC7967552
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052419

Abstract

Due to the high levels of alcohol use, alcohol-attributable mortality and burden of disease, and detrimental drinking patterns, Lithuania implemented a series of alcohol control policies within a relatively short period of time, between 2008 and 2019. Based on their expected impact on alcohol consumption and alcohol-attributable harm, as well as their target population, these policies have been classified using a set of objective criteria and expert opinion. The classification criteria included: positive vs. negative outcomes, mainly immediate vs. delayed outcomes, and general population vs. specific group outcomes. The judgement of the alcohol policy experts converged on the objective criteria, and, as a result, two tiers of intervention were identified: Tier 1-highly effective general population interventions with an anticipated immediate impact; Tier 2-other interventions aimed at the general population. In addition, interventions directed at specific populations were identified. This adaptable methodological approach to alcohol control policy classification is intended to provide guidance and support for the evaluation of alcohol policies elsewhere, to lay the foundation for the critical assessment of the policies to improve health and increase life expectancy, and to reduce crime and violence.

Keywords: Lithuania; alcohol control policy; availability; best buys; classification; evaluation; marketing; taxation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results. CF-B is a staff member of the WHO, and MN is a WHO consultant. The authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this publication and they do not necessarily represent the decisions or the stated policy of the WHO.

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Classifying Alcohol Control Policies with Respect to Expected Changes in Consumption and Alcohol-Attributable Harm: The Example of Lithuania, 2000-2019

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Classifying Alcohol Control Policies with Respect to Expected Changes in Consumption and Alcohol-Attributable Harm: The Example of Lithuania, 2000-2019

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