The effects of alcohol taxation and pricing policies on vodka sales in Russia

Main Article Content

Razvodovsky YE

Abstract

Background: The majority of aggregate econometric studies indicate that higher taxes and real prices on alcohol significantly reduce the alcohol consumption.


Objectives: To estimate the effects of recent alcohol taxation and pricing policies on vodka sales per capita in Russia.


Methods: Trends in the affordability of vodka, excise tax rates on vodka, real and minimum price of vodka and per capita vodka sales between 2010 and 2015, were compared.


Results: A Pearson’s correlation analysis suggests a positive and statistically significant association between the affordability of vodka and per capita vodka sales. The association between vodka sales and excise tax rates on vodka, the real price of vodka and minimum price of vodka was negative.


Conclusions: These findings indicate that pricing policy has potential to reduce binge drinking of vodka in Russia.

Article Details

YE, R. (2025). The effects of alcohol taxation and pricing policies on vodka sales in Russia. Journal of Addiction Therapy and Research, 1(1), 022–025. https://doi.org/10.29328/journal.jatr.1001004
Short Communications

Copyright (c) 2017 Razvodovsky YE.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Nemtsov AV, Razvodovsky YE. Alcohol situation in Russia: 1980-2005. Journal Clinical Psychiatry. 2008; 2: 52-60. Ref.: https://goo.gl/n6zukR

Moskalewicz J, Razvodovsky YE, Wieczorek L. East-west disparities in alcohol-related harm. Alcoholism and Drug Addiction. 2016; 29: 209-222. Ref.: https://goo.gl/uLvvur

Zaridze D, Lewington S, Boroda A, Scélo G, Karpov R, et al. Alcohol and mortality in Russia: prospective observational study of 151,000 adults. Lancet. 2014; 383: 1465-1473. Ref.: https://goo.gl/aFi68T

Stickley A, Leinsalu M, Andreew E, Razvodovsky YE, Vagero D, et al. Alcohol poisoning in Russia and the countries in the European part of the former Soviet Union, 1970 2002. Eur J Public Health. 2007; 17: 444-449. Ref.: https://goo.gl/anVuq5

Nemtsov AV, Razvodovsky YE. The estimation of the level of alcohol consumption in Russia: a review of the literature. Sobriology. 2017; 1:78-88.

Stickley A, Razvodovsky Y, McKee M. Alcohol mortality in Russia: A historical perspective. Public Health. 2009; 123:20-26. Ref.: https://goo.gl/JzABM9

Nemtsov AV, Razvodovsky YE. Russian alcohol policy in false mirror. Alcohol Alcohol. 2016; 51: 626-627. Ref.: https://goo.gl/TZ9Hn3

Khalturina D, Korotaev A. Effects of specific alcohol control policy measures on alcohol-related mortality in Russia from 1998 to 2013. Alcohol Alcohol. 2015; 50: 588-601. Ref.: https://goo.gl/J3axrE

Gil A, Khaltourina D, Korotaev A. Alcohol consumption in Russia: affordability of alcohol, changes and effects of alcohol control policy and future prospects. In: Changes in alcohol affordability and availability. Twenty years of transition in Eastern Europe. Eds Moskalewicz J and Osterberg E Juvenes Print. 2016; 18-50. Ref.: https://goo.gl/RqLBg9

Radaev V. Impact of a new alcohol policy on homemade alcohol consumption and sales in Russia. Alcohol Alcohol. 2015; 50: 365-72. Ref.: https://goo.gl/j3qugj

Razvodovsky YE. Was the mortality decline in Russia attributable to alcohol control policy?. Journal of Sociolomics. 2014; 3: 2.

Razvodovsky YE, Nemtsov AV. Alcohol-related component of the mortality decline in Russia after 2003. The Questions of Narcology. 2016; 3: 63-70.

Chaloupka FJ, Grossman M, Saffer H. The effects of price on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. Alcohol Res Health. 2002; 26: 22-34. Ref.: https://goo.gl/yKMzSY

Moskalewicz J, Osterberrg E, Razvodovsky YE. Summary. In: Changes in alcohol affordability and availability. Twenty years of transition in Eastern Europe. Eds Moskalewicz J and Osterberg E Juvenes Print. 2016; 157-168. Ref.: https://goo.gl/ESBG9G

Razvodovsky YE. Affordability of alcohol and alcohol-related mortality in Belarus. Adicciones. 2013; 25: 156-162. Ref.: https://goo.gl/Pj7vUi

Razvodovsky YE. Alcohol affordability and epidemiology of alcoholism in Belarus. Alcoholism. 49: 29-35.

Wagenaar AC, Tobler AL, Komro KA. Effects of alcohol tax and price policies on morbidity and mortality: A systematic review. Am J Pub Health. 2010; 100: 2270-2278. Ref.: https://goo.gl/H8xTAV

Razvodovsky YE. Comments on “Some aspects of nonbeverage alcohol consumption in the former Soviet Union”. Psychiatry Journal. 2013; 1: 1-2.

Norström T. The use of aggregate data in alcohol epidemiology. British Journal of Addiction. 1989; 84: 969-977. Ref.: https://goo.gl/RmfJc3