Binge drinking and alcohol related hospital stays: Does a legal drinking age matter for minors?

Fabian Dehos and Anne Mensen

No 958, Ruhr Economic Papers from RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen

Abstract: This paper evaluates the effectiveness of the German Minimum Legal Drinking Age in reducing excessive drinking and alcohol-related hospital stays. We add to previous studies by looking at a considerably earlier cutoff at age 16, when teenagers in Germany gain legal access to beer, wine, and sparkling wine. Using detailed survey data, we find considerable increases in moderate alcohol consumption and self-perceived drunkenness at age 16, but rather negligible effects for excessive drinking patterns which may lead to coma or deaths. Likewise, our analysis of daily-hospital-admission data reveals no discontinuities in hospital stays due to acute alcohol intoxication. Admissions due to physical injuries, in contrast, increase by about 11% at age 16 which coincides with teenage drinking patterns and incidents when drunken teenagers fall or get into a fight.

Keywords: Alcohol; minimum legal drinking age; binge drinking; hospital admissions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I12 I18 J13 K32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eur and nep-law
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:rwirep:958

DOI: 10.4419/96973122

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