Of course, one must keep in mind the caveat mentioned previously concerning the need to exercise caution in interpreting cause-and-effect relationships from the types of analyses discussed in this article. Nevertheless, the weight of the evidence is impressive. Moreover, several studies have concluded that these reductions in consumption are not limited to the infrequent, light, or moderate drinkers but also pertain to frequent and heavy drinkers. Furthermore, increases in price also lead to reductions in many of the consequences of heavy drinking. Two studies, however, have suggested that a subset of heavy drinkers—the upper 5 percent—may be unresponsive to price (Manning et al. 1995; Kenkel 1996). Because both of these studies analyzed the drinking behavior of people of all ages, however, they are not inconsistent with the notion that youths and young adults—the age groups with disproportionately high alcohol-related problems—are generally more responsive to increases in price than are adults.
