Gonorrhea Cases Drop 24% as Drinking Declines: Study

ANNAPOLIS, MD — An increase in Maryland’s alcohol tax led to a 24 percent decline in the number of gonorrhea cases in the state, according to a new study.

Increasing state alcohol taxes could help prevent sexually transmitted infections, according to University of Florida Health researchers.

The reason? Risky sexual behavior, such as having unprotected sex or sex with new partners, occurs less often when less drinking happens.

Study authors say that many previous studies have shown that less alcohol is consumed when alcohol taxes are increased, and less drinking reduces the risk-taking.

In 2014, the rate of infection from gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis increased substantially nationwide, says the study, and young people made up nearly two-thirds of the cases of gonorrhea and chlamydia.

“If policymakers are looking for methods to protect young people from harmful STIs, they should consider raising alcohol taxes, which have decreased remarkably over the years due to inflation,” said Dr. Stephanie Staras, the study’s lead researcher.

In Maryland, the tax increase resulted in 2,400 fewer statewide cases of gonorrhea during the 18 months after the tax increase went into effect, according to findings published Dec. 9 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

The tax increase in Maryland was 3 cents per $1, to 9 percent on July 1, 2011.

»Image via Shutterstock