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Alcohol Availability and Crime: Lessons from Liberalized Weekend Sales Restrictions

Author

Listed:
  • Grönqvist, Hans

    (Swedish Institute for Social Research, Stockholm University)

  • Niknami, Susan

    (Swedish Institute for Social Research, Stockholm University)

Abstract

In February 2000, the Swedish state monopoly alcohol retail company launched a large scale experiment in which all stores in selected counties were allowed to keep open on Saturdays. We assess the effects on crime of this expansion in access to alcohol. To isolate the impact of the experiment from other factors, we compare conviction rates in age cohorts above and below the national drinking age restriction in counties where the experiment had been implemented, and contrast these differences to those in counties that still prohibited weekend alcohol commerce. Our analysis relies on extensive individual conviction data that have been merged to population registers. After demonstrating that Saturday opening of alcohol shops significantly raised alcohol sales, we show that it also increased crime. The increase is confined to crimes committed on Saturdays and is driven by illegal activity among individuals with low ability and among persons with fathers that have completed at least some secondary education. Although the increases in crime and alcohol sales were slightly higher during the initial phase of the experiment, our evidence suggests that both effects persist over time. Our analysis reveals that the social costs linked to the experiment exceed the monetary benefits.

Suggested Citation

  • Grönqvist, Hans & Niknami, Susan, 2011. "Alcohol Availability and Crime: Lessons from Liberalized Weekend Sales Restrictions," Working Paper Series 9/2011, Stockholm University, Swedish Institute for Social Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:sofiwp:2011_009
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    File URL: http://www.sofi.su.se/content/1/c6/03/09/74/WP11no9.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Anna Bindler & Randi Hjalmarsson & Nadine Ketel & Andreea Mitrut, 2024. "Discontinuities in the Age-Victimisation Profile and the Determinants of Victimisation," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 134(657), pages 95-134.
    2. Åslund, Olof & Grönqvist, Hans & Hall, Caroline & Vlachos, Jonas, 2018. "Education and criminal behavior: Insights from an expansion of upper secondary school," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 178-192.
    3. Green, Colin P. & Heywood, John. S. & Navarro, Maria, 2014. "Did liberalising bar hours decrease traffic accidents?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 189-198.
    4. Ivandić, Ria & Kirchmaier, Tom & Saeidi, Yasaman & Torres Blas, Neus, 2024. "Football, alcohol, and domestic abuse," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    5. Marcos Yamada Nakaguma & Brandon Restrepo, 2014. "Unintended Benefits of Election Day Alcohol Bans: Evidence from Road Crashes and Hospitalizations in Brazil," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2014_21, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
    6. Itzhak Ben-David & Marieke Bos, 2021. "Impulsive Consumption and Financial Well-Being: Evidence from an Increase in the Availability of Alcohol [Identification of causal effects using instrumental variables]," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 34(5), pages 2608-2647.
    7. Andrés Ham & Darío Maldonado & Michael Weintraub & Andrés Felipe Camacho & Daniela Gualtero, 2022. "Reducing Alcohol‐Related Violence with Bartenders: A Behavioral Field Experiment," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(3), pages 731-761, June.
    8. Baumann, Florian & Buchwald, Achim & Friehe, Tim & Hottenrott, Hanna & Mechtel, Mario, 2019. "The effect of a ban on late-night off-premise alcohol sales on violent crime: Evidence from Germany," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    9. D. Mark Anderson & Benjamin Crost & Daniel I. Rees, 2018. "Wet Laws, Drinking Establishments and Violent Crime," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 128(611), pages 1333-1366, June.
    10. Gu, Yizhen & Deakin, Elizabeth & Long, Ying, 2017. "The effects of driving restrictions on travel behavior evidence from Beijing," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 106-122.
    11. Jungtaek Lee & Baris K. Yörük, 2014. "Does Legalization of Sunday Alcohol Sales Increase Crime?," CESifo Working Paper Series 5065, CESifo.
    12. Joao De Mello & Daniel MejÔøΩa & LucÔøΩa SuÔøΩrez, 2013. "The Pharmacological Channel Revisited: Alcohol Sales Restrictions and Crime in Bogot√°," Documentos CEDE 10629, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    13. Colin Green & John Heywood & Maria Navarro Paniagua, 2013. "Did liberalising English and Welsh bar hours cause traffic accidents?," Working Papers 33996659, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department.
    14. Marcos Y. Nakaguma & Brandon J. Restrepo, 2018. "Restricting access to alcohol and public health: Evidence from electoral dry laws in Brazil," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(1), pages 141-156, January.
    15. Che, Yi & Xu, Xun & Zhang, Yan, 2018. "Chinese import competition, crime, and government transfers in US," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 544-567.
    16. Andrés Ham & Dar�o Maldonado & Michael Weintraub & Andr�s Felipe Camacho & Daniela Gualtero, 2019. "Reducing Alcohol-Related Violence: A Field Experiment with Bartenders," Documentos de trabajo 17834, Escuela de Gobierno - Universidad de los Andes.

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    JEL classification:

    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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