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Reducing binge drinking? The effect of a ban on late-night off-premise alcohol sales on alcohol-related hospital stays in Germany

Jan Marcus and Thomas Siedler

Journal of Public Economics, 2015, vol. 123, issue C, 55-77

Abstract: Excessive alcohol consumption among young people is a major public health concern. On March 1, 2010, the German state of Baden-Württemberg banned the sale of alcoholic beverages between 10pm and 5am at off-premise outlets (e.g., gas stations, kiosks, supermarkets). We use rich monthly administrative data from a 70% random sample of all hospitalizations during the years 2007–2011 in Germany in order to evaluate the short-term impact of this policy on alcohol-related hospitalizations. Applying difference-in-differences methods, we find that the policy change reduces alcohol-related hospitalizations among adolescents and young adults by about 7%. There is also evidence of a decrease in the number of hospitalizations due to violent assault as a result of the ban.

Keywords: Binge drinking; Drinking hours; Alcohol control policies; Difference-in-differences; Hospital diagnosis statistics; Alcohol (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D04 I12 I18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (60)

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Journal Article: Reducing binge drinking? The effect of a ban on late-night off-premise alcohol sales on alcohol-related hospital stays in Germany (2015) Downloads
Working Paper: Reducing Binge Drinking? The Effect of a Ban on Late-Night Off-Premise Alcohol Sales on Alcohol-Related Hospital Stays in Germany (2015) Downloads
Working Paper: Reducing Binge Drinking? The Effect of a Ban on Late-Night Off-Premise Alcohol Sales on Alcohol-Related Hospital Stays in Germany (2015) Downloads
Working Paper: Reducing binge drinking? The effect of a ban on late-night off-premise alcohol sales on alcohol-related hospital stays in Germany (2013) Downloads
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:123:y:2015:i:c:p:55-77

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2014.12.010

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