Working Paper: NBER ID: w27830
Authors: Monica Deza; Alvaro Mezza
Abstract: We exploit the natural experiment provided by the Vietnam lottery draft to evaluate the intergenerational effect of fathers’ draft eligibility on children’s propensity to engage in risky health behaviors during adolescence using the NLSY97. Draft eligibility increases measures of substance use, intensity of use, decreases age of initiation—particularly for marijuana—and increases measures of delinquency. We explore potential mechanisms: Draft eligibility affects paternal parenting styles and attitudes towards the respondent, environmental aspects, and even maternal factors. Results are robust to alternative specifications and falsification diagnostics. Our results indicate that previous analyses underestimate the full negative effects of draft eligibility.
Keywords: Vietnam Draft; Risky Behaviors; Intergenerational Effects; Substance Use; Delinquency
JEL Codes: I1; J13
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| fathers' draft eligibility (Z22) | children's probability of consuming marijuana by age 18 (J13) |
| fathers' draft eligibility (Z22) | age of marijuana initiation (J13) |
| fathers' draft eligibility (Z22) | measures of marijuana consumption (C80) |
| fathers' draft eligibility (Z22) | age of cigarette initiation (L66) |
| fathers' draft eligibility (Z22) | probability of engaging in delinquent behaviors (K42) |