Are we genetically destined to behave poorly, or can a well-designed policy and a nurturing environment prevail over our instincts? This paper analyzes the interplay of public policy and individuals’ genetic endowments, demonstrating how people’s genetic propensity to drink moderates their consumption behavior in response to changes in alcohol availability and licensing policy. We combine data from the UK Biobank with geo-coded data on pubs and retailers, as well as data on alcohol licensing from local authorities in England and Wales. This allows us to construct a fine-grained measure of local alcohol availability for each one of the approximately 500,000 participants in the UK Biobank. Our results show that individuals with a high genetic propensity to drink select into environments with easier access to alcohol, react less to changes in the availability of alcohol, and respond less to restrictive licensing. Thus, we show that supply-focused licensing policy to mitigate alcohol abuse can clash with individual predispositions and might exacerbate genetic inequality, suggesting the need for a more targeted approach.
Presented by:
Dr. Pietro Biroli (University of Zurich)
Date & time:
November 11, 2020 12:30 pm - November 11, 2020 1:30 pm
Venue:
Link for online Zoom Meeting: https://essex-university.zoom.us/j/6336987293 For those who would like join from outside of University of Essex, please register by sending your names to iserseminars@essex.ac.uk
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