Do Consumers Exploit Commitment Opportunities? Evidence from Natural Experiments Involving Liquor Consumption

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Bernheim, B. Douglas; Meer, Jonathan; Novarro, Neva K.
• 署名单位: Stanford University; Texas A&M University System; Texas A&M University College Station; Claremont Colleges; Pomona College
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-ECONOMIC POLICY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1945-7731
• DOI: 10.1257/pol.20130351
• 发表日期: 2016
• 页码: 41-69
• 关键词: alcohol-consumption; self-control; cirrhosis mortality; capita consumption; distilled spirits; sales bans; LAWS; ECONOMICS; addiction; drinking

摘要

This paper provides evidence concerning the extent to which consumers of liquor employ commitment devices. One widely recommended commitment strategy is to regulate alcohol consumption by deliberately manipulating availability. The paper assesses the prevalence of the availability strategy by evaluating the effects of policies that would influence its effectiveness- specifically, changes in allowable Sunday sales hours. It finds that consumers increase their liquor consumption in response to extended Sunday on-premises sales hours, but not in response to extended off-premises sales hours. The latter finding is inconsistent with widespread use of the availability strategy.