Working Paper: NBER ID: w31451
Authors: David S. Jacks; Krishna Pendakur; Hitoshi Shigeoka; Anthony Wray
Abstract: Despite a recent and dramatic re-evaluation of the health consequences of alcohol consumption, very little is known about the effects of in utero exposure to alcohol on long-run outcomes such as later-life mortality. Here, we investigate how state by year variation in alcohol control arising from the repeal of federal prohibition affects mortality for cohorts born in the 1930s. We find that individuals born in wet states experienced higher later-life mortality than individuals born in dry states, translating into a 3.3% increase in mortality rates between 1990 and 2004 for affected cohorts.
Keywords: No keywords provided
JEL Codes: H73; I18; J18; N32
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Transitioning from dry to wet status at the state level (H70) | Increase in mortality rates for cohorts born in the 1930s (J11) |
| In utero exposure to alcohol availability (I12) | Increase in later-life mortality rates (J26) |
| Increases in mortality rates attributed to heart disease and stroke (I12) | Increase in later-life mortality rates (J26) |
| Cohorts born in wet states (J19) | Higher mortality rates than those in dry states (I12) |
| Controlling for unrelated causes of death (motor vehicle accidents) (I12) | Robustness of results (C52) |
| Controlling for the Great Depression and New Deal spending (E65) | Robustness of results (C52) |
| Effects on mortality rates (I12) | Consistent across demographics (sex and race) (J79) |