Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/268208.2 
Year of Publication: 
2024
Citation: 
[Journal:] The Review of Economics and Statistics [ISSN:] 1530-9142 [Volume:] 106 [Issue:] 4 [Publisher:] MIT Press [Place:] Cambridge, MA [Year:] 2024 [Pages:] 938-955
Publisher: 
MIT Press, Cambridge, MA
Abstract: 
This paper evaluates the impact of a sudden and unexpected nationwide alcohol sales ban in South Africa. We find that this policy causally reduced injury-induced mortality in the country by at least 14%. 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 toward 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
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Article
Document Version: 
Published Version

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2 10419/268208.2 Version of Record: June 2025
1 10419/268208 Online Early, Just Accepted

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