title: Patterns of public support for price increases on alcohol in the former Soviet Union.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure levels of public support for price increases on beer and spirits in nine former Soviet Union countries and to examine the characteristics influencing such support.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 2010 with 18,000 respondents aged 18+ in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine. Descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The lowest level of support for price increases on beer were in Georgia (men 5%, women 9%) and Armenia (men 5%, women 11%); and the highest were in Kyrgyzstan (men 30%, women 38%), Azerbaijan (men 27%, women 37%) and Russia (men 23%, women 34%). The lowest levels of support for price increases on spirits were Armenia (men 8%, women 14%) and Georgia (men 14%, women 21%); and the highest were in Kyrgyzstan (men 38%, 47% women) and Moldova (men 36%, women 43%). Characteristics associated with supporting price increases included gender (women), higher education, good economic situation, lower alcohol consumption and greater knowledge of harmful alcohol behaviour.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alcohol price increases are an effective means to reduce hazardous alcohol use. Despite opposition in some groups, there is evidence of public support for alcohol price increases in the study countries.
authors.affiliation: European Centre on Health of Societies in Transition, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH, UK. bayard.roberts@lshtm.ac.uk
authors.forename: Bayard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stickley
authors.forename: Adrianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Kseniya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kizilova
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bryden
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rotman
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haerpfer
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McKee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000191:economics*; D003132:Commerce / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005061:Europe, Eastern; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011635:Public Health Administration; D011639:Public Opinion; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013660:Taxes; D014154:Transcaucasia