Teenage drinking has significant costs, affecting public health, risky behavior, and cognitive development. Raising the minimum legal drinking age can substantially enhance academic performance.
Teen drinking rates in Europe are alarmingly high. Around half of the 15 to 16-year-olds report drinking alcohol monthly, and 30% engage in binge drinking. This is especially common in countries where the legal drinking age is 16, such as Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, and Switzerland. Drinking during adolescence occurs during a crucial phase of brain development, potentially harming cognitive abilities and increasing risky behaviors.
In our recent study, we examine the impact of raising the minimum legal drinking age from 16 to 18 in Spain. Different regions in Spain implemented this policy at different times over recent decades, allowing us to compare the behavior and performance of teens before and after the change in the legal drinking age. During the study period, alcohol consumption among Spanish teenagers was widespread, with significant consequences: 19% of teens reported memory loss from drinking in the past year, 15% said drinking affected their ability to focus at school, and 33% experienced hangovers.
Our findings show that raising the drinking age reduced the likelihood of intoxication by 18% among teens aged 15 to 16. The impact was strongest for students from households with college-educated parents. However, some teens still found ways to obtain alcohol through older peers, which limited the policy’s overall effectiveness.
We also analyze how the policy affected educational outcomes using PISA test scores. These scores measure how well 15 to 16-year-olds can apply their knowledge in reading, mathematics, and science to real-world problems. Students exposed to the higher minimum legal drinking age performed better, with a 0.04 standard deviation improvement in test scores. This improvement is equivalent to gaining an additional two months of schooling. The benefits were particularly strong among students from educated households. Further analysis of census data revealed long-term benefits, including a 2-percentage-point increase in university attendance rates.
The academic improvements were directly linked to reduced alcohol consumption rather than changes in other behaviors or resources. Teens still went out the same number of nights, returned home at similar times, and spent comparable amounts of time on activities like video games and sports. Their use of tobacco and cannabis remained unchanged. However, there was a significant reduction in the use of tranquilizers and sleeping pills, suggesting better mental well-being.
Our findings indicate that policies to curb teenage drinking can also improve educational outcomes. Strengthening minimum legal drinking age enforcement and raising the legal drinking age in countries where it is still 16 could help European countries enhance their academic performance.
© Manuel Bagues and Carmen Villa
Manuel Bagues is Professor at Warwick University and IZA Research Fellow
Carmen Villa is PhD candidate in Economics at the University of Warwick, and a PhD researcher at the Institute for Fiscal Studies
Please note:
We recognize that IZA World of Labor articles may prompt discussion and possibly controversy. Opinion pieces, such as the one above, capture ideas and debates concisely, and anchor them with real-world examples. Opinions stated here do not necessarily reflect those of the IZA.
Related IZA World of Labor content:
https://wol.iza.org/articles/does-substance-use-affect-educational-outcomes by Daniel I. Rees
https://wol.iza.org/articles/alcoholism-and-mortality-in-eastern-europe by Evgeny Yakovlev
https://wol.iza.org/articles/mortality-crisis-in-transition-economies by Giovanni Andrea Cornia
Foto by Jonah Brown on Unsplash.