Our findings indicated that increases in statewide cigarette taxes were associated with reductions in quantity of alcohol consumption and frequency of binge drinking among male smokers. These associations were generally modest to moderate, such that when cigarette taxes increased, male smokers drank approximately 1/3 of a drink less per episode (a 11% reduction), and binged approximately 7 fewer times per year (a 22% reduction), compared to male smokers who did not experience tax change. Similar to prior research indicating that the impact of smoke-free policies on drinking behaviors are stronger among heavy drinkers (Kasza et al., 2012, McKee et al., 2009), the association of cigarette tax with quantity of alcohol consumption was also found for male smokers who were hazardous drinkers at baseline, translating into just under 1/2 a drink less alcohol consumption per episode (a 10% reduction). In contrast to results for male smokers, increases in statewide cigarette taxes were not associated with changes in drinking among non-smoking men, nor among women regardless of smoking status. This sex difference may be particularly important from a prevention perspective, given that
