Madison Reporter

Communities affected by mass shootings in the United States experience increased alcohol sales for years following such events, according to research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The study, published in PNAS Nexus, indicates that these incidents have long-lasting health impacts beyond those directly involved.

Nick Buttrick, a psychology professor at UW–Madison who led the study, explains: “Alcohol is a pretty classic American approach to dealing with distress. When we’re not feeling great, people drink.”

The research examined 326 mass shootings between 2006 and 2019, using Nielsen Retail Scanner data on alcohol sales. These sales include beer, wine, and liquor purchases from most retail outlets but exclude bars and restaurants. The analysis focused on the ZIP-3 zone around each shooting—areas sharing the same first three digits in their ZIP codes. On average, these zones cover about 350,000 people and span roughly 3,000 square miles.

Following each mass shooting in public places, weekly alcohol sales increased by approximately 5.5% over two years within the affected ZIP-3 areas and often remained elevated for longer periods. However, no similar increase was observed after shootings in private settings or homes.

“The distinction between public and private shootings is really important,” Buttrick notes. “It’s not something in the air that spreads this distress from person to person. A mass shooting has effects on the community in as much as the community knows about it.”

Understanding how different types of violence impact communities is crucial for mitigating damage. Other studies have shown increases in antidepressant use among children and stress-related emergency room visits following mass shootings. Increased alcohol consumption adds further health pressures on communities by acting as "an accelerant for violence," particularly firearm-related violence.

Buttrick emphasizes: “Because alcohol is freely available, we’re looking at a behavior change that can happen quickly and easily in response to distress.” He adds that understanding these behavioral changes is vital for developing interventions to help communities heal.

Co-authors of the study include UW–Madison postdoctoral researcher Sosuke Okada and recent doctoral graduate Shiyu Yang. They are also exploring how media coverage affects public health after mass shootings and other community impacts of mass violence.