The effects of privatization on the privatized beverages
are assessed first, followed by an assessment of the
effects of privatization on beverages other than those
for which sales were privatized. If privatization affects
consumption and related harms by means of increased
outlet density, the consumption (and related harms) of
the privatized beverage should increase, while consumption
of other beverages might decline if usual
drinkers of these other beverages now switch to the
newly available privatized beverage. Comparing the
association between alcohol consumption and alcoholrelated
harms associated with privatized and nonprivatized
alcoholic beverages, respectively, provides a basis
for assessing the impact of privatization on alcohol
consumption and related harms while controlling for
other factors that might be occurring simultaneously.