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Evaluation of Alcohol Taxes as a Public Health Opportunity to Reduce Liver Transplant Listings for Alcohol‐Related Liver Disease
Author(s) -
Shen Nicole T.,
Bray Jeremy,
Wahid Nabeel A.,
Raver Michael,
Hutchison Nicholas,
Brown Robert S.,
Schackman Bruce R.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/acer.14454
Subject(s) - alcohol , liver disease , medicine , public health , disease , liver transplantation , environmental health , intensive care medicine , surgery , transplantation , biology , pathology , biochemistry
Background Alcohol‐related liver disease (ALD) is a leading indication for liver transplantation. Methods State consumption of spirits, wine, and beer was determined from published sources. Excise and ad valorem alcohol taxes of spirits, wine, and beer were calculated following standard practices and correlated using multiple logistic regression models to 2002 to 2015 ALD transplant listing data from the United Network for Organ Sharing database. Results 21.22% (29,161/137,440) of transplant listings were for ALD. Increased consumption of spirits was associated with increased ALD transplant listings (odds ratio [OR]: 1.67; 95% CI: 1.12 to 2.49, p = 0.01), but wine and beer consumption did not have a statistically significant association with ALD transplant listings. Spirits excise taxes on‐ and off‐premise were inversely associated with ALD transplant listing (OR: 0.79 and 0.82, respectively, both p < 0.02). Beer and wine taxes were not significantly associated with ALD transplant listings. Conclusions Transplant listings for ALD are directly associated with spirit consumption and inversely associated with spirits excise taxes. These findings suggest a possible public health benefit of increasing excise taxes for spirits.