The effect of a ban on late-night off-premise alcohol sales on violent crime: Evidence from Germany

The question whether alcohol consumption affects violent crime is a crucial one, and may lead to a demand for alcohol availability regulation. In this study, we explore the effects of a state-level ban on late-night off-premise alcohol sales on recorded violent crime incidents. We study the ban that was in effect from 2010 to 2017 in the German state Baden-Württemberg. The results show that that the policy reduced both late-night simple assault and aggravated assault, but had no significant effect on late-night rape or robbery.

Baumann, Florian, Achim Buchwald, Tim Friehe, Hanna Hottenrott and Mario Mechtel (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 Volume 60, December 2019, 105850