Ban and Benefit: Effects of Alcohol Ban on Child Nutrition

Abstract This paper examines the impact of Bihar’s 2016 statewide prohibition of alcohol production, sales, and consumption on child nutritional outcomes. Using representative survey data within a difference-in-differences framework, we find that children of mothers exposed to the prohibition experienced declines of 8.3 % points in stunting and 6.7 % points in underweight, with the largest effects in rural and lower-income households. These findings are robust across alternative model specifications and sample restrictions. Our analysis suggests that these improvements in child nutrition are driven by changes in reproductive behavior, greater women’s autonomy, and increased parental investment in child well-being. These findings underscore the broader welfare implications of alcohol control policies for child health in low-income settings.