The Minimum Legal Drinking Age and Crime Victimization

Aaron Chalfin, Benjamin Hansen and Rachel Ryley

No 26051, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: For every crime there is a victim. However nearly all studies in the economics of crime have focused the causal determinants of criminality. We present novel evidence on the causal determinants of victimization, focusing on legal access to alcohol. The social costs of alcohol use and abuse are sizable and well-documented. We find criminal victimization for both violent and property crimes increases noticeably at age 21. Effects are not present at other birthdays and do not appear to be driven by a birth-day "celebration effect." The effects are particularly large for sexual assaults, especially those that occur in public locations. Our results suggest prior research which has focused on criminality has understated the true social costs associated with increased access to alcohol.

JEL-codes: D8 I1 I12 K42 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-law
Note: EH LE PE
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

Published as Aaron Chalfin & Benjamin Hansen & Rachel Ryley, 2023. "The Minimum Legal Drinking Age and Crime Victimization," Journal of Human Resources, vol 58(4), pages 1141-1177.

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