Ride-Hailing Services and Alcohol Consumption: Longitudinal Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Transportation Studies
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Alcohol consumption is a significant public health concern, contributing to preventable deaths.
• Ride-hailing services have been linked to a reduction in alcohol-related traffic fatalities.
• Concerns exist that ride-hailing may inadvertently increase overall alcohol consumption and binge drinking behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the impact of ride-hailing services on the prevalence and intensity of alcohol consumption.
• To investigate how population density influences the association between ride-hailing and alcohol consumption patterns.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a difference-in-differences approach exploiting the phased rollout of Uber.
• Analyzed data from Uber entry announcements and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Systems (BRFSS) survey.
• Employed fixed-effects Poisson regression models across 113 metropolitan areas, validating with pre- and post-entry trends.

Main Results:

• Ride-hailing showed no significant association with the extent of alcohol consumption in either high or low population density markets.
• A notable increase in binge drinking rates was observed in high-density markets associated with ride-hailing availability (4% increase).

Conclusions:

• Ride-hailing services are associated with an elevated rate of binge drinking, particularly in urban areas.
• The rise in binge drinking, alongside falling drunk driving rates, may be influenced by ride-hailing.
• Public health campaigns should reinforce the direct health risks associated with alcohol and binge drinking.