Monday 29 June 2015

More minimum pricing junk science

The Observer is probably the most gullible newspaper when it comes to 'public health' quackery so it's no surprise to see it reporting this...

Imposing a minimum unit price for alcohol leads to a dramatic fall in drink-related crime, including murders, sexual assaults and drink-driving, a new study shows.

Crimes perpetrated against people, including violent assaults, fell by 9.17% when the price of alcohol was increased by 10% over nine years in the Canadian province of British Columbia.


This is based on a feeble correlation and correlation almost certainly doesn't imply causation in this instance. Tim Stockwell—for it is he—doesn't bother to find a control group to so I have done it for him at The Spectator. It turns out that minimum pricing in British Columbia correlates better with crime in Britain than it does in British Columbia. Now that's magic.

Do have a read.




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