Beverage alcohol spending in Singapore: an empirical update

Data on Singapore suggest strongly that consumer spending on imported and locally produced beverage alcohol was on the rise from 1986 through 1991 just as it had been from 1978 through 1986. Although not alarming in contrast to countries such as South Korea, the rise could signal an emerging problem with both public health and economic growth implications. In terms of economic growth, Singapore's continued economic success and its future plans require a highly skilled labor force, but skilled local workers are in very short supply. Continued rises in spending on beverage alcohol could pose a potential constraint to labor availability and therefore continued material progress. On the public health side, a rise in spending on beverage alcohol could lead to illness and accidents that cause chronic absenteeism, decrease on-the-job productivity, and lead to the permanent loss of valuable workers through alcohol-related motor car and other fatal accidents. A minimalist intervention strategy featuring education and rehabilitation might therefore be a reasonable policy option for government to consider pursuing, both on economic development and public health grounds.