Sunday Liquor Laws and Crime

Paul Heaton

Published Jun 22, 2011

Many jurisdictions have considered relaxing Sunday alcohol sales restrictions, yet such restrictions' effects on public health remain poorly understood. This paper analyzes the effects of legalization of Sunday packaged liquor sales on crime, focusing on the phased introduction of such sales in Virginia beginning in 2004. Differences-in-differences and triple-differences estimates indicate the liberalization increased minor crime by 5% and alcohol-involved serious crime by 10%. The law change did not affect domestic crime or induce significant geographic or inter-temporal crime displacement. The costs of this additional crime are comparable to the state's revenues from increased liquor sales.

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Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web-Only
  • Year: 2011
  • Pages: 41
  • Document Number: WR-818-ISEC

Citation

RAND Style Manual
Heaton, Paul, Sunday Liquor Laws and Crime, RAND Corporation, WR-818-ISEC, 2011. As of October 15, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/WR818.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Heaton, Paul, Sunday Liquor Laws and Crime. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2011. https://www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/WR818.html.
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