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Anthony Shakeshaft - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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The efficiency of a volumetric alcohol tax in Australia
Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, 2012Co-Authors: Joshua Byrnes, Christopher M. Doran, Dennis J. Petrie, Anthony ShakeshaftAbstract:Background In Australia and elsewhere, fiscal measures such as alcohol taxation are a commonly used intervention and cost-effective strategy to reduce alcohol consumption and associated harm. However, alcohol taxation policies distort the market for alcohol, specifically increasing the marginal cost of alcohol. It is proposed that a volumetric tax, which taxes alcohol equally across all beverage types, is less distortive of consumer preferences and more efficient at reducing alcohol consumption than the current Australian tax model, where taxes are charged at varying amounts per litre of pure alcohol, depending on the beverage type. Objective This paper quantifies the effect of four different alcohol taxation systems, relative to the current Australian system: two different types of volumetric taxation (deadweight loss Neutral and tax revenue Neutral); the recent strategy trialled in Australia of increasing the tax only on ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages (i.e. premixed spirits); and a tiered tax system, which may be more politically acceptable. Methods A partial equilibrium approach was used to measure taxation revenue, consumer welfare and consumption in alcohol markets. Estimates of taxation revenue, consumer welfare and consumption were first calculated for 2008 and then compared with the four Scenarios considered. Results Relative to the previous alcohol taxation scheme in Australia, the taxation strategy that increased the tax solely on ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages increased taxation revenue by 479 million Australian dollars ($A), reduced pure alcohol consumption by 754000 litres and increased the net deadweight loss of taxation by $A62 million. For a tax-Neutral approach, for the same level of taxation revenue as is currently generated, a volumetric tax could substantially reduce the cost of taxation (as described by the net loss in consumer welfare) by $A177 million and reduce pure alcohol consumption by 468 000 litres. Under a deadweight loss-Neutral Scenario, for the same amount of deadweight loss generated from the previous taxation Scenario, taxation revenue could be increased by $A1153 million, in addition to reducing pure alcohol consumption by 4316000 litres. A tiered taxation regime, as modelled here, could decrease pure alcohol consumption by 2 616 000 litres whilst increasing taxation revenue by $A1101 million. However, this Scenario would also increase the deadweight loss of taxation by $A113 million. Conclusion From these Scenarios, it can be shown that, for the same tax revenue, consumer welfare can be reduced or, for the same level of loss to consumer welfare, taxation revenue can be increased. Both these Scenarios result in a reduction of pure alcohol consumption.
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Cost-effectiveness of volumetric alcohol taxation in Australia
The Medical Journal of Australia, 2010Co-Authors: Joshua Byrnes, Linda J. Cobiac, Christopher M. Doran, Anthony ShakeshaftAbstract:Objective: To estimate the potential health benefits and cost savings of an alcohol tax rate that applies equally to all alcoholic beverages based on their alcohol content (volumetric tax) and to compare the cost savings with the cost of implementation. Design and setting: Mathematical modelling of three Scenarios of volumetric alcohol taxation for the population of Australia: (i) no change in deadweight loss, (ii) no change in tax revenue, and (iii) all alcoholic beverages taxed at the same rate as spirits. Main outcome measures: Estimated change in alcohol consumption, tax revenue and health benefit. Results: The estimated cost of changing to a volumetric tax rate is $18 million. A volumetric tax that is deadweight loss-Neutral would increase the cost of beer and wine and reduce the cost of spirits, resulting in an estimated annual increase in taxation revenue of $492 million and a 2.77% reduction in annual consumption of pure alcohol. The estimated net health gain would be 21 000 disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with potential cost offsets of $110 million per annum. A tax revenue-Neutral Scenario would result in an 0.05% decrease in consumption, and a tax on all alcohol at a spirits rate would reduce consumption by 23.85% and increase revenue by $3094 million. All volumetric tax Scenarios would provide greater health benefits and cost savings to the health sector than the existing taxation system, based on current understandings of alcohol-related health effects. Conclusions: An equalised volumetric tax that would reduce beer and wine consumption while increasing the consumption of spirits would need to be approached with caution. Further research is required to examine whether alcohol-related health effects vary by type of alcoholic beverage independent of the amount of alcohol MJA 2010; 192: 439–443 consumed to provide a strong evidence platform for alcohol taxation policies.
Joshua Byrnes - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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The role of health economics in alcohol policy.
Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, 2012Co-Authors: Christopher M. Doran, Joshua ByrnesAbstract:In a 2010 editorial, Doran and Jainullabudeen[1] outlined the potential role health economics can play in the development and implementation of alcohol policy. In particular, efficiency can be attained when the negative externalities due to alcohol consumption can be reduced and where the socially optimum level of alcohol is consumed. A socially optimum level can be thought of as one where the marginal cost of reducing associated harm is equal to the marginal benefit from reduced harm.[2] This optimum level requires an assessment of both supply-side factors (availability, marketing and price of alcohol) and demand-side factors (taste, willingness, preferences and income) and the interactions of these factors in minimizing alcohol misuse.[3] With the aim of enhancing the evidence base related to the role of health economics in alcohol policy, Applied Health Economics and Health Policy invited submission of original work to be published in this special issue. After a rigorous peer-review process, three original research articles are presented that focus on the impact and role of pricing strategies. Byrnes et al.[4] consider the efficiency of a volumetric alcohol tax in Australia; Ataguba[5] examines alcohol policy and taxation in South Africa and Ludbrook et al.[6] present research aimed at addressing alcohol misuse using a minimum pricing approach in the UK. Each article offers a unique contribution to the literature and enhances our limited understanding of the potential role health economics can play in the development of efficient and equitable alcohol policy. Byrnes et al.[4] quantify the economic impact of four different alcohol taxation systems, relative to the current Australian system: two different types of volumetric taxation (deadweight loss Neutral and tax revenue Neutral); the recent strategy trialled in Australia of increasing the tax only on ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages; and a tiered tax system, which may be more politically acceptable. A partial equilibrium approach was used to measure taxation revenue and deadweight loss in alcohol markets. The results of the analysis suggest that a volumetric tax on alcohol, relative to the current system, can reduce pure alcohol consumption for the same amount of tax revenue collected and increase consumer welfare, or, for the same level of loss to consumer welfare, taxation revenue can be increased. A tiered taxation system, as considered by the National Preventative Taskforce,[7] appears to achieve some benefit relative to current practice, but is not as efficient as an unmixed volumetric tax. Specifically, compared with the deadweight loss Neutral Scenario, a tiered taxation system is associated with an increased deadweight loss of taxation, less taxation revenue collected by government and a smaller reduction in pure alcohol consumption. However, the ability of taxation policy to reduce pure alcohol consumption for the least amount of deadweight loss may only be one consideration of alcohol taxation policy. As Ataguba[5] notes, the application of alcohol taxation policy on efficiency grounds is difficult to impose in reality and the goal of alcohol taxation as it relates to equity is also an important consideration, especially in a highly unequal society like South Africa. Ataguba[5] empirically examines the distribution of economic burden (i.e. the tax incidence) that taxes on alcoholic beverages place on households in South Africa. Using data from the 2005/06 South African Income and Expenditure Survey, Ataguba suggests that the taxation of alcohol in South Africa is regressive, with the most regressive tax on local beer and the least regressive on spirits. In the context of these findings, Ataguba[5] contends that within South Africa, alcohol tax policy built on the principle of 'the drinker should pay' has produced a regressive distribution of tax that has had little impact on per capita consumption over the years. Ataguba[5] comments that it is important to gain a better understanding of the current pattern of drinking and explore why the poor drink and thereby bear a greater burden of alcohol taxes. …
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The efficiency of a volumetric alcohol tax in Australia
Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, 2012Co-Authors: Joshua Byrnes, Christopher M. Doran, Dennis J. Petrie, Anthony ShakeshaftAbstract:Background In Australia and elsewhere, fiscal measures such as alcohol taxation are a commonly used intervention and cost-effective strategy to reduce alcohol consumption and associated harm. However, alcohol taxation policies distort the market for alcohol, specifically increasing the marginal cost of alcohol. It is proposed that a volumetric tax, which taxes alcohol equally across all beverage types, is less distortive of consumer preferences and more efficient at reducing alcohol consumption than the current Australian tax model, where taxes are charged at varying amounts per litre of pure alcohol, depending on the beverage type. Objective This paper quantifies the effect of four different alcohol taxation systems, relative to the current Australian system: two different types of volumetric taxation (deadweight loss Neutral and tax revenue Neutral); the recent strategy trialled in Australia of increasing the tax only on ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages (i.e. premixed spirits); and a tiered tax system, which may be more politically acceptable. Methods A partial equilibrium approach was used to measure taxation revenue, consumer welfare and consumption in alcohol markets. Estimates of taxation revenue, consumer welfare and consumption were first calculated for 2008 and then compared with the four Scenarios considered. Results Relative to the previous alcohol taxation scheme in Australia, the taxation strategy that increased the tax solely on ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages increased taxation revenue by 479 million Australian dollars ($A), reduced pure alcohol consumption by 754000 litres and increased the net deadweight loss of taxation by $A62 million. For a tax-Neutral approach, for the same level of taxation revenue as is currently generated, a volumetric tax could substantially reduce the cost of taxation (as described by the net loss in consumer welfare) by $A177 million and reduce pure alcohol consumption by 468 000 litres. Under a deadweight loss-Neutral Scenario, for the same amount of deadweight loss generated from the previous taxation Scenario, taxation revenue could be increased by $A1153 million, in addition to reducing pure alcohol consumption by 4316000 litres. A tiered taxation regime, as modelled here, could decrease pure alcohol consumption by 2 616 000 litres whilst increasing taxation revenue by $A1101 million. However, this Scenario would also increase the deadweight loss of taxation by $A113 million. Conclusion From these Scenarios, it can be shown that, for the same tax revenue, consumer welfare can be reduced or, for the same level of loss to consumer welfare, taxation revenue can be increased. Both these Scenarios result in a reduction of pure alcohol consumption.
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Cost-effectiveness of volumetric alcohol taxation in Australia
The Medical Journal of Australia, 2010Co-Authors: Joshua Byrnes, Linda J. Cobiac, Christopher M. Doran, Anthony ShakeshaftAbstract:Objective: To estimate the potential health benefits and cost savings of an alcohol tax rate that applies equally to all alcoholic beverages based on their alcohol content (volumetric tax) and to compare the cost savings with the cost of implementation. Design and setting: Mathematical modelling of three Scenarios of volumetric alcohol taxation for the population of Australia: (i) no change in deadweight loss, (ii) no change in tax revenue, and (iii) all alcoholic beverages taxed at the same rate as spirits. Main outcome measures: Estimated change in alcohol consumption, tax revenue and health benefit. Results: The estimated cost of changing to a volumetric tax rate is $18 million. A volumetric tax that is deadweight loss-Neutral would increase the cost of beer and wine and reduce the cost of spirits, resulting in an estimated annual increase in taxation revenue of $492 million and a 2.77% reduction in annual consumption of pure alcohol. The estimated net health gain would be 21 000 disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with potential cost offsets of $110 million per annum. A tax revenue-Neutral Scenario would result in an 0.05% decrease in consumption, and a tax on all alcohol at a spirits rate would reduce consumption by 23.85% and increase revenue by $3094 million. All volumetric tax Scenarios would provide greater health benefits and cost savings to the health sector than the existing taxation system, based on current understandings of alcohol-related health effects. Conclusions: An equalised volumetric tax that would reduce beer and wine consumption while increasing the consumption of spirits would need to be approached with caution. Further research is required to examine whether alcohol-related health effects vary by type of alcoholic beverage independent of the amount of alcohol MJA 2010; 192: 439–443 consumed to provide a strong evidence platform for alcohol taxation policies.
Arcadi Navarro - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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interplay of interlocus gene conversion and crossover in segmental duplications under a Neutral Scenario
G3: Genes Genomes Genetics, 2014Co-Authors: Diego A Hartasanchez, Oriol Vallescodina, Marina Brasovives, Arcadi NavarroAbstract:Interlocus gene conversion is a major evolutionary force that drives the concerted evolution of duplicated genomic regions. Theoretical models successfully have addressed the effects of interlocus gene conversion and the importance of crossover in the evolutionary fate of gene families and duplications but have not considered complex recombination Scenarios, such as the presence of hotspots. To study the interplay between interlocus gene conversion and crossover, we have developed a forward-time simulator that allows the exploration of a wide range of interlocus gene conversion rates under different crossover models. Using it, we have analyzed patterns of nucleotide variation and linkage disequilibrium within and between duplicate regions, focusing on a Neutral Scenario with constant population size and validating our results with the existing theoretical models. We show that the interaction of gene conversion and crossover is nontrivial and that the location of crossover junctions is a fundamental determinant of levels of variation and linkage disequilibrium in duplicated regions. We also show that if crossover activity between duplications is strong enough, recurrent interlocus gene conversion events can break linkage disequilibrium within duplicates. Given the complex nature of interlocus gene conversion and crossover, we provide a framework to explore their interplay to help increase knowledge on molecular evolution within segmental duplications under more complex Scenarios, such as demographic changes or natural selection.
Adam D. Hawkes - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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An optimisation study on integrating and incentivising Thermal Energy Storage (TES) in a dwelling energy system
Energies, 2018Co-Authors: Gbemi Oluleye, Nicolas Kelly, John Allison, Adam D. HawkesAbstract:In spite of the benefits from thermal energy storage (TES) integration in dwellings, the penetration rate in Europe is 5%. Effective fiscal policies are necessary to accelerate deployment. However, there is currently no direct support for TES in buildings compared to support for electricity storage. This could be due to lack of evidence to support incentivisation. In this study, a novel systematic framework is developed to provide a case in support of TES incentivisation. The model determines the costs, CO2 emissions, dispatch strategy and sizes of technologies, and TES for a domestic user under policy Neutral and policy intensive Scenarios. The model is applied to different building types in the UK. The model is applied to a case study for a detached dwelling in the UK (floor area of 122 m2), where heat demand is satisfied by a boiler and electricity imported from the grid. Results show that under a policy Neutral Scenario, integrating a micro-Combined Heat and Power (CHP) reduces the primary energy demand by 11%, CO2 emissions by 21%, but with a 16 year payback. Additional benefits from TES integration can pay for the investment within the first 9 years, reducing to 3.5–6 years when the CO2 levy is accounted for. Under a policy intensive Scenario (for example considering the Feed in Tariff (FIT)), primary energy demand and CO2 emissions reduce by 17 and 33% respectively with a 5 year payback. In this case, the additional benefits for TES integration can pay for the investment in TES within the first 2 years. The framework developed is a useful tool is determining the role TES in decarbonising domestic energy systems.
Hani S Mahmassani - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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choice model of employee participation in telecommuting under a cost Neutral Scenario
Transportation Research Record, 1993Co-Authors: Mark A Sullivan, Hani S MahmassaniAbstract:A multinomial logit model was constructed of employee participation in telecommuting using stated preference data extracted from a survey of employees of information-oriented firms in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, Texas. Respondents were given work site alternatives in a Scenario in which all telecommuting costs were incurred by the employer. Explanatory factors in the employee's decision are identified, including travel, work, and socioeconomic variables. Maximum likelihood estimation results were calculated for a pooled model and for the individual cities. Understanding the characteristics of willful telecommuters lends insight into the likely makeup of the future telecommuting population and, subsequently, the impact on transportation systems.