Alcohol Consumption and Intimate Partner Violence: Long-Term Effects of a Temporary Alcohol Ban

Author: Arnab K. Basu (Cornell University)Tsenguunjav Byambasuren (Trinity College Dublin)Nancy H. Chau (Cornell University)
Posted: 24 December 2025

Abstract

We trace the impact of a partial liquor ban – from launch to reversal – on alcohol consumption and women’s experience with intimate partner violence (IPV) in Kerala, India. Decomposing the policy-induced and reversal effects by employing difference-in-differences and event-study approaches, we identify a significant reduction in alcohol consumption (but only in liquor-serving bars) with an accompanying reduction in IPV during the policy period. However, both alcohol consumption and IPV rebounded to pre-ban levels after the policy removal. Heterogeneity analysis further reveals these effects to be confined only amongst high-wealth households. A battery of robustness tests confirms our findings.
JEL codes: D04, D12, J16, K42
Keywords: Alcohol drinking, Domestic violence, Prohibition, Kerala, India