The Effect of Closing Hour Restrictions on Alcohol Use and Abuse in Russia

18 Pages Posted: 27 Sep 2014

See all articles by Alexander Skorobogatov

Alexander Skorobogatov

National Research University Higher School of Economics

Date Written: September 26, 2014

Abstract

This research estimates the effect of the restriction of trading hours on the use of alcoholic beverages falling under the restriction, and to evaluate the substitution effect for the beverages not under the restriction. The hypotheses tested are that these policies decrease use of factory-made vodka and increase use of home-made vodka (samogon) and factory-made light beverages. Overall use, binge drinking, and the consumption of vodka, samogon, beer, and wine were examined. The conclusions are that the sales restrictions leads to a decrease of factory-made vodka consumption and its partial substitution by samagon for people most exposed to the restriction. A by-product of the restriction is a redistribution of alcohol market in favor of the big shops that resulted in a fall in samogon sales and rise in wine sales.

Keywords: closing hours, alcohol policy, substitution effect, differences-in-differences

JEL Classification: I18, J60, K42, L66, P51

Suggested Citation

Skorobogatov, Alexander, The Effect of Closing Hour Restrictions on Alcohol Use and Abuse in Russia (September 26, 2014). Higher School of Economics Research Paper No. WP BRP 63/EC/2014, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2501865 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2501865

Alexander Skorobogatov (Contact Author)

National Research University Higher School of Economics ( email )

Myasnitskaya street, 20
Moscow, RI Moscow 119017
Russia

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
112
Abstract Views
784
Rank
441,712
PlumX Metrics