Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/251789 
Year of Publication: 
2022
Series/Report no.: 
WZB Discussion Paper No. SP II 2022-301
Publisher: 
Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB), Berlin
Abstract: 
This paper evaluates the impact of a sudden and unexpected nation-wide alcohol sales ban in South Africa. We find that this policy causally reduced injury-induced mortality in the country by at least 14% during the five weeks of the ban. We argue that this estimate constitutes a lower bound on the true impact of alcohol on injury-induced mortality. We also document a sharp drop in violent crimes, indicating a tight link between alcohol and aggressive behavior in society. Our results underscore the severe harm that alcohol can cause and point towards a role for policy measures that target the heaviest drinkers in society.
Subjects: 
alcohol
mortality
economics
health
crime
South Africa
COVID-19
violence
JEL: 
I18
I12
K42
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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