Does Drinking Impair College Performance? Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Approach

Scott Carrell, Mark Hoekstra and James West

No 16330, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: This paper examines the effect of alcohol consumption on student achievement. To do so, we exploit the discontinuity in drinking at age 21 at a college in which the minimum legal drinking age is strictly enforced. We find that drinking causes significant reductions in academic performance, particularly for the highest-performing students. This suggests that the negative consequences of alcohol consumption extend beyond the narrow segment of the population at risk of more severe, low-frequency, outcomes.

JEL-codes: I18 I21 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010-09
Note: ED EH LS PE
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Published as Carrell, Scott E. & Hoekstra, Mark & West, James E., 2011. "Does drinking impair college performance? Evidence from a regression discontinuity approach," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(1-2), pages 54-62, February.
Published as Carrell, Scott E. & Hoekstra, Mark & West, James E., 2011. "Does drinking impair college performance? Evidence from a regression discontinuity approach," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(1), pages 54-62.

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Journal Article: Does drinking impair college performance? Evidence from a regression discontinuity approach (2011)
Journal Article: Does drinking impair college performance? Evidence from a regression discontinuity approach (2011)
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