Putting Out the Fires: Will Higher Taxes Reduce the Onset of Youth Smoking?

Posted: 3 Feb 2002

See all articles by Philip DeCicca

Philip DeCicca

McMaster University - Department of Economics; Ball State--Department of Economics

Donald Kenkel

Cornell University - Department of Policy Analysis & Management (PAM); National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Alan D. Mathios

Cornell University - Department of Policy Analysis & Management (PAM)

Abstract

This paper reexamines whether higher cigarette taxes will substantially reduce youth smoking. We study the impact of taxes during exactly the period in adolescence in which most smokers start their habits. We find weak or nonexistent tax effects in models of the onset of smoking between eighth and twelfth grades, models of the onset of heavy smoking between eighth and twelfth grades, and discrete-time hazard models that include state fixed effects. We also provide a new perspective on the relationship between smoking and schooling: students who eventually drop out of school are already more likely to smoke in the eighth grade.

Suggested Citation

DeCicca, Philip and DeCicca, Philip and Kenkel, Donald and Mathios, Alan D., Putting Out the Fires: Will Higher Taxes Reduce the Onset of Youth Smoking?. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=295065

Philip DeCicca

McMaster University - Department of Economics ( email )

Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4M4
Canada

Ball State--Department of Economics ( email )

United States

Donald Kenkel (Contact Author)

Cornell University - Department of Policy Analysis & Management (PAM) ( email )

120 Martha Van Rensselaer Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
United States
607-255-2594 (Phone)
607-255-4071 (Fax)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Alan D. Mathios

Cornell University - Department of Policy Analysis & Management (PAM) ( email )

120 Martha Van Rensselaer Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
United States
607-255-2589 (Phone)
607-255-0799 (Fax)

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Abstract Views
2,132
PlumX Metrics