Cardiff University
People consume less alcohol as the price of food increases, suggesting this may influence the decision to buy it, a new study led by Cardiff University has found.
The research, which is the first to look at the link between alcohol consumption and cost of food, found a 1% increase in food price led to a 1% decrease in alcohol consumption.
The researchers suggest current policies to reduce harm from alcohol would be more effective if Britain moved to the Scandinavian approach where alcohol and food are sold by separate shops.
Lead author Professor Simon Moore, Director of Cardiff University’s Violence and Alcohol Research Group and Co-Director of the Cardiff University Crime and Security Research Institute, said: “Our study suggests that the price of food does indeed influence whether a person buys – and then consumes – alcohol.
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