Aim: To determine how new restrictions on hours of alcohol retail sales influence alcohol consumption in Russia.
Design: Natural experiment with combined regional and micro-data.
Setting/Participants: Cross-sectional samples from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey, corresponding to waves 18 and 19, years 2009–2010, 32 Russian regions and more than 7,000 adults (aged 15 and up) consuming alcohol at least once per month.
Measures: Descriptive analysis of per capita alcohol sales at the regional level and regression analysis of pure spirit consumption at the individual level, controlling for various socioeconomic factors, including sales bans.
Findings: We revealed a significant positive correlation between the amount of alcohol consumed and the number of hours of allowed alcohol sales when other factors were controlled. The results gained from analyzing the micro-data were confirmed using the regional sales information. In terms of drinking reduction, sales restrictions in the evening hours seem more efficient than restrictions in the morning hours. Restricted hours of sale do not increase consumption of beer or home-distilled alcohol.
Conclusions: Alcohol consumption depends on the hours of sale, all else being equal. Restricting the legal hours of alcohol sales in Russian regions has the potential to reduce consumption levels. These findings indicate a need for a further reduction in sales hours in the regions where heavy drinking is especially widespread.