Working Paper: NBER ID: w12458
Authors: Philip Decicca; Donald Kenkel; Alan Mathios; Yoonjeong Shin; Jaeyoung Lim
Abstract: In this paper, we develop a new direct measure of state anti-smoking sentiment and merge it with micro data on youth smoking in 1992 and 2000. The empirical results from the cross-sectional models show two consistent patterns: after controlling for differences in state anti-smoking sentiment, the price of cigarettes has a weak and statistically insignificant influence on smoking participation; and state anti-smoking sentiment appears to be a potentially important influence on youth smoking participation. The cross-sectional results are corroborated by results from discrete time hazard models of smoking initiation that include state fixed effects. However, there is evidence of price-responsiveness in the conditional cigarette demand by youth and young adult smokers.
Keywords: Youth Smoking; Cigarette Prices; Antismoking Sentiment
JEL Codes: I10
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Cigarette prices (P22) | Conditional demand for cigarettes (D12) |
| Cigarette prices (P22) | Youth smoking participation (J13) |
| State antismoking sentiment (I19) | Youth smoking participation (J13) |
| State antismoking sentiment (I19) | Conditional demand for cigarettes (D12) |