More Bars Hit Harder in Socially Disadvantaged Areas
Can more bars lead to more societal problems? A new study from the Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI) shows that the answer is yes—but it depends on the bars' location. The findings reveal a clear connection between the number of bars and nighttime police incidents, particularly in areas with lower socioeconomic status.
Nighttime emergency calls to the police are used to study how bar opening hours after 1 a.m. affect alcohol-related societal issues. Photo: Mostphotos/Stefan Holm
Researchers Thor Norström (SOFI), Tony Nilsson (CAN and KI), and Johan Svensson (CAN and KI) analyzed data from Sweden's 290 municipalities between 2012 and 2021. By using nighttime emergency calls to the police as an indicator of alcohol-related issues, they examined how the density of bars serving alcohol after 1 AM impacts social problems.
The study shows that more bars lead to more problems – but not everywhere. The effect is twice as strong in areas with low socioeconomic status compared to medium-status areas. In high-status areas, the connection is barely measurable.
Professor emeritus Thor Norström.
"Our results show that the link between bars and problems is not the same for everyone, and an interesting question is why this is the case," says Thor Norström, Professor Emeritus at SOFI and one of the study's authors.
Heavy Drinking Drives Problems
An important aspect of the research is that drinking patterns play a crucial role. The study reveals that in areas with lower socioeconomic status, heavy episodic drinking – consuming large amounts in a short time – is more common. This intensifies the relationship between more bars and more problems, and raises questions about how urban planning and alcohol policies can reduce alcohol-related harm.
The study stands out by not only focusing on violent crimes but instead using nighttime police incidents as a broader indicator of societal issues. The researchers also employed a more robust method than previous studies, making the results more reliable.
More pubs—More problems? A longitudinal analysis of Swedish panel data is a collaboration between SOFI, the Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAN), and Karolinska Institutet. It has been published in the scientific journal Drug and Alcohol Review and was funded by Systembolaget's Research Council.
Research at the Social Policy unit includes investigating explanations for the development of the welfare state, as well as the effects of social policy on an individual and societal level, often in an international comparative perspective and with quantitative research methods.
