The impact of drinking on psychological well-being: Evidence from minimum drinking age laws in the United States

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) Vol. 75; no. 10; pp. 1844 - 1854
• Main Authors: Ertan Yoruk, C., Yoruk, B K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2012; Elsevier; Pergamon Press Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Factors; Alcohol; Alcohol consumption; Alcohol Drinking - legislation & jurisprudence; Alcohol Drinking - psychology; Alcohol use; Biological and medical sciences; Drinkers; Female; Health policy; Humans; Impact analysis; Legislation; Liquor laws & regulations; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical sciences; Mental Health; Minimum legal drinking age; Miscellaneous; Psychological aspects; Psychological well-being; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Regression Analysis; U.S.A; United States; Well-being; Young Adult; Young adults; Youth policy; United States; North America; America; United States > US; Alcohol consumption; Minimum legal drinking age; United States; Psychological well-being; Consumption; Human; Legislation; Drinking; Minimum-age; Alcoholic beverage; Legal aspect; Social medicine; Public health
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.07.020

In this paper, we investigate the relationship between alcohol consumption and psychological well-being among young adults in the United States. We do so by exploiting the discontinuity in alcohol consumption at age 21 and using a regression discontinuity design. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1997 Cohort), we document that young adults tend to increase their alcohol consumption and drink on average 1.5 days per month more once they are granted legal access to alcohol at age 21. However, we also show that in general, this discrete jump in alcohol consumption at age 21 has no statistically significant impact on several indicators of psychological well-being among young adults. This result suggests that although stricter alcohol control targeted toward young adults may result in meaningful reductions in alcohol consumption, the immediate spillover effects of such policies on psychological well-being are relatively limited. ► The relationship between drinking and psychological well-being among young adults is investigated. ► Young adults tend to drink on average 1.5 days per month more once they are granted legal access to alcohol at age 21. ► In general, several indicators of psychological well-being among young adults exhibit similar trends before and after the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA). ► The MLDA law does not appear to have an immediate negative spillover effect on several self-reported psychological well-being indicators of young adults. ► The strengths and limitations of a regression discontinuity design for the estimation of the effect of the MLDA on alcohol consumption and psychological well-being are discussed.