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In the aftermath of mass shootings, affected communities turn to alcohol in significant and lasting ways, a new study published in PNAS Nexus finds. Alcohol sales increase for at least two years in areas where mass shootings occur, suggesting a long-term behavioral response to trauma.
Mass shootings are among the most devastating acts of violence. While the immediate toll is clear – lives lost and survivors struggling with trauma – the broader impact on communities is often harder to measure.
Studies have shown that people who experience disasters or traumatic events are more likely to increase their alcohol consumption, as a coping mechanism for stress. Given the well-documented emotional and psychological impact of mass shootings, a research team led by Nicholas Buttrick from the University of Wisconsin-Madison wanted to examine whether entire communities respond to these events with increased alcohol purchases.
Buttrick and colleagues analyzed real-world consumer behavior by examining 13 years’ worth of data on alcohol sales across the United States, covering purchases from over 35,000 retailers, including grocery stores and drugstores. This dataset accounted for more than half of all alcohol sales in the country, making it one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind.
They then obtained records of all mass shootings in the U.S. from 2006 to 2019, using a database maintained by USA TODAY/Associated Press/Northeastern University.
Statistical models were implemented to compare alcohol sales before and after mass shootings in affected areas. They also examined whether alcohol sales differed depending on whether the shooting happened in a public place (such as a school, workplace, or mall) or a private residence.
The researchers discovered that alcohol sales rose in communities after a mass shooting, and this increase persisted for at least two years. On average, alcohol sales rose by about 3.5%, which amounts to more than $22,000 in additional weekly alcohol sales per affected community.
However, not all mass shootings had the same effect. The increase in alcohol purchases was much stronger when the mass shooting occurred in a public place. In those cases, alcohol sales jumped by over $42,000 per week on average – a 5.5% increase for the next two years. In contrast, mass shootings that took place in private homes did not lead to any increase in alcohol sales.
The study’s authors suggest reasons for their findings: “the vicarious trauma caused by a mass shooting is therefore carried, at least in part, by the event’s public nature, as such a public event may confirm that one’s community is no longer a protective, safe place to live. When a mass killing occurs in private, it may not implicate the community in the same way. Not all mass death carries the same traumatic power.”
Notably, the study has some limitations. Since analysis of alcohol sales were limited to grocery and drugstores, they could not account for purchases from independent liquor stores, bars, or restaurants. Thus, the true increase in alcohol consumption could be even higher than reported.
The study, “Mass shootings durably increase the sale of alcohol in American communities,” was authored by Nicholas Buttrick, Shiyu Yang, and Sosuke Okada.