Ban and Benefit: Effects of Alcohol Ban on Child Nutrition

This study examines how Bihar's 2016 alcohol prohibition law affected child nutrition outcomes in India. Researchers used survey data to compare children whose mothers were exposed to the ban with those who were not, using a difference-in-differences approach. Children of mothers affected by the prohibition showed significant improvements in nutrition, with stunting declining by 8.3 percentage points and underweight declining by 6.7 percentage points. The largest benefits were seen in rural and lower-income households. The study suggests these improvements came through changes in reproductive behaviour, increased women's autonomy, and greater parental investment in child well-being.

Key points

• Stunting among children of mothers exposed to alcohol prohibition decreased by 8.3 percentage points
• Underweight among children of mothers exposed to alcohol prohibition decreased by 6.7 percentage points
• Largest effects observed in rural and lower-income households
• Results robust across alternative model specifications and sample restrictions
• Improvements attributed to changes in reproductive behaviour, women's autonomy, and parental investment in child well-being

Limitations

The study uses observational survey data rather than experimental design, so causal inference relies on the difference-in-differences assumption that trends would have been parallel between exposed and unexposed groups without the prohibition. The document does not provide detail on potential confounding factors, implementation compliance, or how long effects persisted after the initial period.