Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK.
Addiction. 2011 Apr;106(4):729-36. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03225.x. Epub 2010 Dec 6.
To compare alcohol purchasing and consumption by ill drinkers in Edinburgh with wider alcohol sales in Scotland.
Cross-sectional.
Two hospitals in Edinburgh in 2008/09.
A total of 377 patients with serious alcohol problems; two-thirds were in-patients with medical, surgical or psychiatric problems due to alcohol; one-third were out-patients.
Last week's or typical weekly consumption of alcohol: type, brand, units (1 UK unit 8 g ethanol), purchase place and price.
Patients consumed mean 197.7 UK units/week. The mean price paid per unit was £0.43 (lowest £0.09/unit) (£1 = 1.6 US$ or 1.2€), which is below the mean unit price, £0.71 paid in Scotland in 2008. Of units consumed, 70.3% were sold at or below £0.40/unit (mid-range of price models proposed for minimum pricing legislation by the Scottish Government), and 83% at or below £0.50/unit proposed by the Chief Medical Officer of England. The lower the price paid per unit, the more units a patient consumed. A continuous increase in unit price from lower to higher social status, ranked according to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (based on postcode), was not seen; patients residing in postcodes in the mid-quintile paid the highest price per unit. Cheapness was quoted commonly as a reason for beverage choice; ciders, especially 'white' cider, and vodka were, at off-sales, cheapest per unit. Stealing alcohol or drinking alcohol substitutes was only very rarely reported.
Because patients with serious alcohol problems tend to purchase very cheap alcohol, elimination of the cheapest sales by minimum price or other legislation might reduce their consumption. It is unknown whether proposed price legislation in Scotland will encourage patients with serious alcohol problems to start stealing alcohol or drinking substitutes or will reduce the recruitment of new drinkers with serious alcohol problems and produce predicted longer-term gains in health and social wellbeing.
比较爱丁堡酗酒者的酒类购买和消费情况与苏格兰更广泛的酒类销售情况。
横断面研究。
2008/09 年在爱丁堡的两家医院。
共 377 名患有严重酒精问题的患者；其中三分之二为因酒精导致医疗、外科或精神问题的住院患者；三分之一为门诊患者。
上周或典型每周饮酒量：类型、品牌、单位（1 英国单位 8 克乙醇）、购买地点和价格。
患者平均每周饮用 197.7 个英国单位。每个单位的平均支付价格为 0.43 英镑（最低 0.09 英镑/单位）（1 英镑=1.6 美元或 1.2 欧元），低于苏格兰 2008 年的平均单位价格 0.71 英镑。在所消费的单位中，70.3%是在 0.40 英镑/单位或以下（苏格兰政府提出的最低定价立法价格模型的中间范围），83%是在 0.50 英镑/单位或以下（英格兰首席医疗官提出的）。每个单位的支付价格越低，患者消耗的单位就越多。根据按邮政区号排列的苏格兰多重剥夺指数（基于邮政区号），从较低到较高的社会地位，没有看到单位价格的连续增加；居住在五分位数中间的邮政区号的患者每单位支付的价格最高。廉价是选择饮料的常见原因；苹果酒，尤其是“白”苹果酒和伏特加，在非销售时，每单位最便宜。很少有报道称患者偷酒或饮用酒精替代品。
由于患有严重酒精问题的患者往往购买非常便宜的酒，通过最低价格或其他立法消除最便宜的销售可能会减少他们的消费。尚不清楚苏格兰拟议的价格立法是否会鼓励患有严重酒精问题的患者开始偷酒或饮用替代品，或者是否会减少新的严重酒精问题饮酒者的招募，并产生预期的长期健康和社会福利收益。
