Working Paper: NBER ID: w16625
Authors: Sara Markowitz
Abstract: Fires and burns are among the leading causes of unintentional death in the U.S. Most of these deaths occur in residences, and cigarettes are a primary cause. In this paper, I explore the relationship between smoking, cigarette policies, and fires. As fewer people smoke, there are less opportunities for fires, however, the magnitude of any reduction is in question as the people who quit may not necessarily start fires. Using a state-level panel, I find that reductions in smoking and increases in cigarette prices are associated with fewer fires. However, laws regulating indoor smoking are associated with increases in fires.
Keywords: smoking policies; fires; cigarette prices; public health
JEL Codes: I0; K0
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| laws regulating indoor smoking (L88) | increases in certain types of fires (L73) |
| reductions in smoking among careful or careless smokers (I12) | fewer fires (L73) |
| reductions in smoking (I12) | fewer fires (L73) |
| increases in cigarette prices (D49) | fewer fires (L73) |