Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40329451›Full record

ArticleAddiction (Abingdon, England)2025

A return on investment analysis for the 2017 increase in alcohol excise taxation in Lithuania.

Jürgen Rehm, Pol Rovira, Ahmed S Hassan, Claire de Oliveira, Shannon Lange, Mark J Thompson, Ilona Tamutienė, Vaida Liutkutė-Gumarov, Lukas Galkus, Mindaugas Štelemėkas

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Addiction (Abingdon, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Jürgen RehmInstitute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5665-0385
Pol RoviraProgram on Substance Abuse and WHO European Region Collaboration Centre, Public Health Agency of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5444-1560
Ahmed S HassanInstitute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8878-5567
Claire de OliveiraInstitute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3961-6008
Shannon LangeInstitute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8067-8932
Mark J ThompsonHealth Research Institute Faculty of Public Health, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2196-5244
Ilona TamutienėHealth Research Institute Faculty of Public Health, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8697-867X
Vaida Liutkutė-GumarovHealth Research Institute Faculty of Public Health, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3128-657X
Lukas GalkusHealth Research Institute Faculty of Public Health, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2527-2681
Mindaugas ŠtelemėkasHealth Research Institute Faculty of Public Health, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2040-6900

Funding

Evaluation of the impact of alcohol control policies on morbidity and mortality in Lithuania and other Baltic statesR01AA028224 · NIAAA · CENTRE FOR ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH · PI REHM, JUERGEN T, ŠTELEMĖKAS, MINDAUGAS · 2020 to 2024
$2.2M
NIAAA NIH HHS R01 AA028224
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsTo conduct a return on investment analysis of Lithuania's 2017 increase in alcohol excise taxation of 112% for beer, 111% for wine, and 23% for ethyl alcohol (spirits), resulting in a marked decrease in alcohol affordability.

methodsEconomic analyses based on costs of the increased taxation and economic benefits derived from a societal perspective. Costs were measured according to World Health Organization standards, based on Lithuanian public data. Benefits were derived from the difference of direct (healthcare, childcare, legal) and indirect costs between 12 months pre- and post-enactment of the policy. All costs and benefits were expressed in 2023 Euros (€).

resultsOverall, there were net benefits from reductions in productivity losses and increases in tax revenue. Tax revenue increased by 20%, or more than €100 million, in the first-year post enactment, and productivity losses decreased over the same time period by about €35.3 million (95% confidence interval [CI]: -51.9 to -17.1; proportionally -7%; 95% CI: -11.0% to -4.0%), the latter based on marked reductions in premature mortality in all alcohol-attributable causes of death. In addition, healthcare costs decreased by about €3.8 million (95% CI: -8.4 to +0.1; proportionally -5%; 95% CI: -11.0% to +0.1%). On the other hand, childcare and legal costs increased compared with the year before, by €5.3 million (no 95% CI possible; proportionally: +7%) and €4.6 million (95% CI: +0.2 to +8.0; proportionally +5%; 95% CI: +0.3 to +8.7%), respectively. The final return on investment was 420 to 1, i.e. for each Euro invested, the return was €420. In the sensitivity analyses, the return on investment varied between 292 to 1 and 530 to 1, meaning that all assumptions resulted in a very positive return.

conclusionsThe increase in excise taxation for alcohol on March 1, 2017 in Lithuania created a large return on investment and reduced alcohol-attributable mortality and hospitalizations.

Indexed as

Alcohol DrinkingAlcoholic BeveragesTaxesCost-Benefit AnalysisHumansLithuaniaWinealcoholexcise taxationLithuaniamortalityreturn on investmenttax revenue

Identifiers

PMID40329451
PMCPMC12426354

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.