The impact of a large reduction in the price of alcohol on area differences in interpersonal violence: a natural experiment based on aggregate data.
BACKGROUND
This paper examines the effect of a drastic reduction in the price of alcohol that occurred in Finland in 2004 on interpersonal violence in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, and how these changes varied at the small-area level.


METHODS
This study comprised 86 administrative tracts from the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Data pertaining to the social structure of the tracts and interpersonal violence were collected from archival sources in the cities and the police in 2002-2005, and analysed using regression analysis.


RESULTS
Interpersonal violence rates did not increase after a large reduction in alcohol prices and an increase in consumption. For domestic violence, the rate even decreased. There was a significant relationship between measures of social disadvantage and interpersonal violence. A low educational level and a high outmigration level were the most salient factors. The differences in impact of the reduction in alcohol prices on interpersonal violence between high-, intermediate- and low-status areas were small.


CONCLUSIONS
It would appear that a radical reduction in the price of alcohol and an increase in consumption do not necessarily lead to detrimental consequences in interpersonal violence or to an adverse development in areas of social disadvantage.
Department of Sociology, PO Box 18, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. kimmo.herttua@helsinki.fi
K
K
Herttua
P
P
Mäkelä
P
P
Martikainen
R
R
Sirén
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000191:economics* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D003132:Commerce; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012923:Social Class; D014504:Urban Health; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult