Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/230526 
Year of Publication: 
2021
Series/Report no.: 
Discussion Paper No. 273
Publisher: 
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München und Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Collaborative Research Center Transregio 190 - Rationality and Competition, München und Berlin
Abstract: 
On July 13, 2020 a complete nation-wide ban was placed on the sale and transport of alcohol in South Africa. This paper evaluates the impact of this sudden and unexpected five-week alcohol prohibition on mortality due to unnatural causes. We find that the policy reduced the number of unnatural deaths by 21 per day, or approximately 740 over the five-week period. This constitutes a 14% decrease in the total number of deaths due to unnatural causes. We argue that this represents a lower bound on the impact of alcohol on short-run mortality, and underscores the severe influence that alcohol has on society - even in the short-run.
Subjects: 
Alcohol
mortality
economics
health
South Africa
COVID-19
violence
JEL: 
I18
I12
K42
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
932.66 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.