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.
CITATION STYLE
Barron, K., Parry, C. D. H., Bradshaw, D., Dorrington, R., Groenewald, P., Laubscher, R., & Matzopoulos, R. (2024). Alcohol, Violence, and Injury-Induced Mortality: Evidence from a Modern-Day Prohibition. Review of Economics and Statistics, 106(4), 938–955. https://doi.org/10.1162/rest_a_01228
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