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Frequency and Intensity of Alcohol Consumption: New Evidence from Sweden

Heckley, Gawain LU orcid ; Jarl, Johan LU orcid and Gerdtham, Ulf LU orcid (2014) In Working Paper / Department of Economics, School of Economics and Management, Lund University
Abstract
This paper provides an extensive analysis of the demand for alcohol in terms of total quantity and quantity subdivided into frequency and intensity demand. The analysis compares across alcohol types (beer, wine and spirits), alcohol drinking pattern (average drinker vs. binge drinkers) and also how these decisions differ across gender. The analysis is based on a large sample of cross-sectional data from Sweden 2004-11. The results show a positive socioeconomic (income and education) gradient in quantity. This gradient is generally positive in the frequency decision while negative in the intensity decision. Women predominantly choose to drink wine and show a strong positive socioeconomic gradient in both frequency and intensity demand for... (More)
This paper provides an extensive analysis of the demand for alcohol in terms of total quantity and quantity subdivided into frequency and intensity demand. The analysis compares across alcohol types (beer, wine and spirits), alcohol drinking pattern (average drinker vs. binge drinkers) and also how these decisions differ across gender. The analysis is based on a large sample of cross-sectional data from Sweden 2004-11. The results show a positive socioeconomic (income and education) gradient in quantity. This gradient is generally positive in the frequency decision while negative in the intensity decision. Women predominantly choose to drink wine and show a strong positive socioeconomic gradient in both frequency and intensity demand for wine. Binge drinkers show less of a differentiation across alcohol types and this is true even of binge drinking women. Smoking is universally positively associated with quantity, frequency and intensity of alcohol demand with the exception of wine binge drinkers. The results highlight that while quantity consumed has a positive socioeconomic gradient, policies targeted at the less affluent and less educated are likely to have the greatest impact in reducing the social cost of alcohol and in reducing the socioeconomic gradient in health and socioeconomic related health inequality. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Working paper/Preprint
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Alcohol, demand, drinking pattern, binge drinking
in
Working Paper / Department of Economics, School of Economics and Management, Lund University
issue
25
pages
36 pages
publisher
Department of Economics, Lund University
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
8604d59c-2e2a-4c64-bda7-b059462899a1 (old id 4580149)
alternative location
http://swopec.hhs.se/lunewp/abs/lunewp2014_025.htm
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 11:40:58
date last changed
2019-10-17 02:21:28
@misc{8604d59c-2e2a-4c64-bda7-b059462899a1,
  abstract     = {{This paper provides an extensive analysis of the demand for alcohol in terms of total quantity and quantity subdivided into frequency and intensity demand. The analysis compares across alcohol types (beer, wine and spirits), alcohol drinking pattern (average drinker vs. binge drinkers) and also how these decisions differ across gender. The analysis is based on a large sample of cross-sectional data from Sweden 2004-11. The results show a positive socioeconomic (income and education) gradient in quantity. This gradient is generally positive in the frequency decision while negative in the intensity decision. Women predominantly choose to drink wine and show a strong positive socioeconomic gradient in both frequency and intensity demand for wine. Binge drinkers show less of a differentiation across alcohol types and this is true even of binge drinking women. Smoking is universally positively associated with quantity, frequency and intensity of alcohol demand with the exception of wine binge drinkers. The results highlight that while quantity consumed has a positive socioeconomic gradient, policies targeted at the less affluent and less educated are likely to have the greatest impact in reducing the social cost of alcohol and in reducing the socioeconomic gradient in health and socioeconomic related health inequality.}},
  author       = {{Heckley, Gawain and Jarl, Johan and Gerdtham, Ulf}},
  keywords     = {{Alcohol; demand; drinking pattern; binge drinking}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Working Paper}},
  number       = {{25}},
  publisher    = {{Department of Economics, Lund University}},
  series       = {{Working Paper / Department of Economics, School of Economics and Management, Lund University}},
  title        = {{Frequency and Intensity of Alcohol Consumption: New Evidence from Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://swopec.hhs.se/lunewp/abs/lunewp2014_025.htm}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}