Using the International Alcohol Control (IAC) policy index to assess effects of legislative change in Aotearoa New Zealand

TL;DR

This study uses the IAC Policy Index to evaluate alcohol policy changes in New Zealand over time, showing how legislative changes and other factors affect alcohol regulation.

Contribution

This is the first study to use the IAC Policy Index to assess legislative changes within a single country.

Findings

The IAC Policy Index score in New Zealand improved from 2013 to 2022.

Policy stringency and impact changed independently due to ecological factors like reduced enforcement and increased digital marketing.

The IAC Policy Index effectively communicates policy strengths and gaps to policymakers.

Abstract

The IAC Policy Index was developed to allow comparison in alcohol policy between countries and within countries over time including in low resource settings. It measures four effective alcohol policies and takes into account stringency of regulation and the actual impact on the alcohol environment, such as trading hours and prices paid. This framework was used to assess policy in Aotearoa New Zealand in a time period covering two relevant legislative changes. This is the first study to use an alcohol policy index to assess and describe legislative change within country.

Data to calculate the IAC Policy Index was collected for 2013 and 2022. Stringency of policy was assessed from legislative statutes and impacts of policy on the alcohol environment from administrative data and specifically designed data collection.

The overall IAC Policy Index score improved over the time period. The scores for the separate policy areas reflected the legislative changes as hypothesised, but also independent changes in impact, given ecological changes including reduced enforcement of drink driving countermeasures and increased exposure to marketing in digital channels. The IAC Policy index reflects the changes in policy status observed in Aotearoa, NZ.

The IAC Policy Index provided a useful framework to assess and describe change in alcohol legislation contextualised by other influences on policy impact over time within a country. The results indicated the value of assessing stringency and impact separately as these moved independently.

The IAC Alcohol Policy Index, measuring both stringency and actual impact on the alcohol environment with a focus on only the most effective alcohol policies provides meaningful insights into within-country policy strength over time. The IAC Policy Index used over time can communicate to policy makers successes and gaps in alcohol policy.

Figures