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Causality and initiation of alcohol control policy. A response to Allamani
Author(s) -
Rehm Jürgen,
Purshouse Robin C.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
drug and alcohol review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.018
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1465-3362
pISSN - 0959-5236
DOI - 10.1111/dar.13371
Subject(s) - causality (physics) , control (management) , alcohol , econometrics , psychology , economics , medicine , chemistry , physics , biochemistry , quantum mechanics , management
In a recent commentary, Allamani asked how one can establish causality in epidemiological research, and specifically about causality as it relates to alcohol control policy. Epidemiology customarily uses a sufficient‐component cause model, where a sufficient cause for an outcome is determined by a set of minimal conditions and events that inevitably produce the stated outcome. While this model is theoretically clear, its operationalisation often involves probabilistic elements. Recent advances in agent‐based modelling may improve operationalisation. The implications for alcohol control policy from this model are straightforward: the so‐called alcohol‐attributable fraction denotes the cases of morbidity or mortality which would not have happened in the absence of alcohol use.