A new IZA discussion paper by Petri Böckerman, Mika Haapanen, and Christopher Jepsen investigates the health impacts of Finland’s legal minimum drinking ages. The study, which uses nationwide register data and a regression discontinuity design, reveals far-reaching consequences of alcohol policy, extending beyond the individual to impact household members.
The researchers found that reaching age 18, when access to beer and wine becomes legal, significantly increases mortality and hospitalizations, particularly among men. These negative outcomes are primarily linked to alcohol-related causes and traffic accidents. The findings also show that at age 20, when access to spirits is granted, there’s a rise in alcohol-related deaths among men and an increased suicide risk among women.
Crucially, the study highlights substantial spillover effects within families. When an older sibling reaches the legal drinking age, younger siblings – especially brothers – face increased risks of alcohol-related deaths, accidents, and suicide attempts.
These results underscore that legal age thresholds for alcohol access affect not only the person gaining access but also their immediate household members. The study emphasizes the unintended broader consequences of alcohol policy and suggests that effective public health strategies must account for these family-level effects when designing and evaluating age-based alcohol regulations.