For Want of a Cup: The Rise of Tea in England and the Impact of Water Quality on Mortality

Francisca Antman

No 15016, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This paper explores the impact of water quality on mortality by exploiting a natural experiment. the rise of tea consumption in 18th century England. This resulted in an unintentional increase in consumption of boiled water, thereby reducing mortality rates. The methodology uses two identication strategies tying areas with lower initial water quality to larger declines in mortality rates after tea drinking became widespread and following larger volumes of tea imports. Results are robust to the inclusion of controls for income and access to trade. The hypothesis is further bolstered by suggestive evidence from cause-specific deaths and early childhood mortality.

Keywords: Industrial Revolution; water quality; tea; mortality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I15 N33 Q25 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 60 pages
Date: 2022-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-env, nep-hea and nep-his
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Published - published in: Review of Economics and Statistics , 2023, 105 (6), 1352–1365.

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