IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/hepoli/v138y2023ics0168851023002051.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Feasibility of introducing effective alcohol harms reduction strategies in a low regulation region: A qualitative study from Hong Kong

Author

Listed:
  • Yu, Jiazhou
  • Dong, Dong
  • Sumerlin, Timothy S.
  • Kim, Jean H.

Abstract

To counter the harms of excessive alcohol use, the World Health Organization (WHO) outlined a series of alcohol policy recommendations, including the most cost-effective “Best Buys”. This study aims to obtain key stakeholder views on feasibility of implementing various publicly endorsed alcohol policies in Hong Kong, a relatively low alcohol consumption region with few extant alcohol regulations. Between 2019 and 2021, we conducted semi-structured interviews with stakeholders involved in alcohol policy adoption and implementation. Interviewees included hospitality/alcohol sales workers (n = 13) and government officers (n = 4). The stakeholders noted that although WHO advocacy facilitated local policy considerations, the adoption of stringent measures was challenged by low political priority due to the low visibility of harms. For implementing strategies, the stakeholders cited alignment with social norms as a major facilitator, whereas law enforcement difficulties and resistance from industry/business sectors were viewed as major obstacles. There was a general belief that population-level alcohol policies would be effective for certain groups of drinkers but would also harm the local economy and detract from Hong Kong's image as a “world city”. Hong Kong may not be ready to adopt a wide range of highly restrictive population-level alcohol policies. Local governments should carefully consider contextual factors when following international recommendations.

Suggested Citation

  • Yu, Jiazhou & Dong, Dong & Sumerlin, Timothy S. & Kim, Jean H., 2023. "Feasibility of introducing effective alcohol harms reduction strategies in a low regulation region: A qualitative study from Hong Kong," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:hepoli:v:138:y:2023:i:c:s0168851023002051
    DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2023.104920
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168851023002051
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.healthpol.2023.104920?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hennink, Monique & Kaiser, Bonnie N., 2022. "Sample sizes for saturation in qualitative research: A systematic review of empirical tests," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    2. Chak Kwan Chan, 2011. "Hong Kong: workfare in the world's freest economy," International Journal of Social Welfare, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(1), pages 22-32, January.
    3. Kenkel, Donald S, 1993. "Drinking, Driving, and Deterrence: The Effectiveness and Social Costs of Alternative Policies," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 36(2), pages 877-913, October.
    4. Wagenaar, A.C. & Tobler, A.L. & Komro, K.A., 2010. "Effects of alcohol tax and price policies on morbidity and mortality: A systematic review," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 100(11), pages 2270-2278.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Guthridge, Steve & Schurer, Stefanie & Taylor, Paige J., 2025. "Minimum Unit Pricing, Alcohol Consumption and Infant Health: Evidence from the Alice Springs Liquor Supply Plan," IZA Discussion Papers 18201, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Jon P. Nelson, 2014. "Gender Differences In Alcohol Demand: A Systematic Review Of The Role Of Prices And Taxes," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(10), pages 1260-1280, October.
    3. Gülüm Özer & İdil Işık & Jordi Escartín, 2024. "Is There Somebody Looking out for Me? A Qualitative Analysis of Bullying Experiences of Individuals Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(2), pages 1-22, January.
    4. Rinaldo Brau & Marco Nieddu & S. Balia, 2021. "Depowering Risk: Vehicle Power Restriction and Teen Driver Accidents in Italy," Working Paper CRENoS 202101, Centre for North South Economic Research, University of Cagliari and Sassari, Sardinia.
    5. Júlio Belo Fernandes & Diana Vareta & Sónia Fernandes & Ana Silva Almeida & Dina Peças & Noélia Ferreira & Liliana Roldão, 2022. "Rehabilitation Workforce Challenges to Implement Person-Centered Care," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-9, March.
    6. Chikako Ishizuka & Kei Aoki, 2024. "Drivers of sustained brand engagement: cases of long-term customers of hedonic and utilitarian brands in Japan," Journal of Marketing Analytics, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(4), pages 979-989, December.
    7. Joseph M. Buguis & Reynaldo Castro, 2025. "Construct Development and Validation of Service Quality in the Context of Private Hospitals," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(7), pages 6053-6077, July.
    8. Barrie M. Craven & Michael L. Marlow & Alden F. Shiers, 2013. "The Economics of Minimum Pricing for Alcohol," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 174-189, June.
    9. Frank J. Chaloupka & Henry Wechsler, 1995. "The Impact of Price, Availability, and Alcohol Control Policies on Binge Drinking in College," NBER Working Papers 5319, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Sandra L. Decker & Amy Ellen Schwartz, 2000. "Cigarettes and Alcohol: Substitutes or Complements?," NBER Working Papers 7535, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Reem Mohamed Gouda & Yasser Tawfik Halim, 2025. "The role of sustainable social media content in enhancing customer loyalty in the hospitality industry," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-26, December.
    12. Cook, Philip J. & Moore, Michael J., 2000. "Alcohol," Handbook of Health Economics, in: A. J. Culyer & J. P. Newhouse (ed.), Handbook of Health Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 30, pages 1629-1673, Elsevier.
    13. Nurul Hidayana Mohd Noor & Amirah Mohamad Fuzi & Nurin Farzana Mohamad Fadzil & Afief El Ashfahany, 2025. "Measuring Financial Management and Bankability of Small Business Mumpreneurs through Triangulation Study," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 17(1), pages 328-341.
    14. Syazuin Sazali & Rozina Muzaffar & Maya Lestari Muchtar & Najibah Binti Yasin, 2025. "From Aspirations to Decisions: A Biographical Study on Factors Influencing Postgraduate Students’ Choices of HEI in Malaysia," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(1), pages 5092-5109, January.
    15. Hall, Julie & Hawkins, Olivia & Montgomery, Amy & Singh, Saniya & Mullan, Judy & Degeling, Chris, 2022. "Dismantling antibiotic infrastructures in residential aged care: The invisible work of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS)," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).
    16. Hossam Mohamed Elhamy & Maha Abdulmajeed, 2023. "Arab Media Researchers’ Perceptions of Factors Affecting Their Research Problem Selection," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, September.
    17. Raghad Almashhour & Abroon Qazi & M. K. S. Al-Mhdawi & Abdelkader Daghfous & Bilal M. Ayyub & Alan O’Connor, 2025. "Analyzing Barriers to Sustainable Enterprise Risk Management in the Construction Sector: A Delphi Method and Interpretive Structural Modeling Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-27, October.
    18. Mhairi Patience & Alison Kirk & Xanne Janssen & James Sanders & Megan Crawford, 2025. "“If You Haven’t Slept a Lot (…) You Don’t Want to Go Out for a Run, You Don’t Want to Ride a Bike, You Just Kind of Sit and You Just (…) Do Nothing”—Perceptions of 24-Hour Movement Behaviours Among Ad," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(8), pages 1-14, August.
    19. Anurag Sharma & Fabrice Etilé & Kompal Sinha, 2016. "The Effect of Introducing a Minimum Price on the Distribution of Alcohol Purchase: A Counterfactual Analysis," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(9), pages 1182-1200, September.
    20. Jackson, C. Kirabo & Owens, Emily Greene, 2011. "One for the road: Public transportation, alcohol consumption, and intoxicated driving," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(1), pages 106-121.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:hepoli:v:138:y:2023:i:c:s0168851023002051. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu or the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/healthpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.