Drink and drive? Understanding the dynamics of youth risk‐taking

2024/06/30 by Stefan Boes, Steven Stillman
Health Professions · Social Sciences · #Homelessness and Social Issues #Youth Development and Social Support #Youth Education and Societal Dynamics

paper · pdf · doi:10.1002/hec.4875

openalex publication_date 2024/06/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30

Abstract

We exploit a reduction in the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) in New Zealand from 20 to 18 to study the dynamics of youth risk-taking. Using the universe of road accidents over 15 years and an event history approach, we find no evidence that lowering the drinking age increased alcohol-related accidents among teens. Complementary results of a cohort analysis suggest that reducing the drinking age even led to a short-term decline in risky driving among youths directly affected by the MLDA change but had no longer-run impacts on youth risky driving and drinking behaviors.

Citations

• Breaking The Link Between Legal Access To Alcohol And Motor Vehicle Accidents: Evidence From New South Wales
• Reviews of evidence regarding interventions to reduce alcohol-impaired driving
• The minimum legal drinking age and marijuana use: New estimates from the NLSY97
• The Minimum Legal Drinking Age and Public Health

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