The Effects of E-Cigarette Minimum Legal Sale Age Laws on Youth Substance Use

Dhaval Dave, Bo Feng and Michael Pesko

No 23313, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: We use difference-in-differences models and individual-level data from the national and state Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) from 2005 to 2015 to examine the effects of e-cigarette Minimum Legal Sale Age (MLSA) laws on youth cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and marijuana use. Our results suggest that these laws increased youth smoking participation by about one percentage point, and approximately half of the increased smoking participation could be attributed to smoking initiation. We find little evidence of higher cigarette smoking persisting beyond the point at which youth age out of the laws. Our results also show little effect of the laws on youth drinking, binge drinking, and marijuana use. Taken together, our findings suggest a possible unintended effect of e-cigarette MLSA laws—rising cigarette use in the short term while youth are restricted from purchasing e-cigarettes.

JEL-codes: D12 I12 I18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-law
Note: CH EH PE
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Published as Dhaval Dave & Bo Feng & Michael F. Pesko, 2019. "The effects of e-cigarette minimum legal sale age laws on youth substance use," Health Economics, vol 28(3), pages 419-436.

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