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Do Minimum Legal Tobacco Purchase Age Laws Work?

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  • Ceren Ertan Yörük
  • Baris K. Yörük

Abstract

This paper uses a regression discontinuity design to estimate the impact of the minimum legal tobacco purchase age (MLTPA) laws on smoking behavior among young adults. Using data from the confidential version of National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1997 Cohort), which contains information on the exact birth date of the respondents, we find that the impact of the MLTPA on several indicators of smoking among youth is minor and often insignificant. However, we also show that granting legal access to cigarettes and tobacco products at the MLTPA leads to an increase in several indicators of smoking participation, including up to a 5 percentage point increase in the probability of smoking for males and for those who reported to have smoked before. These results are robust under several alternative model specifications and imply that policies that are designed to restrict youth access to tobacco are only effective in reducing smoking participation among certain groups of young adults.

Suggested Citation

  • Ceren Ertan Yörük & Baris K. Yörük, 2014. "Do Minimum Legal Tobacco Purchase Age Laws Work?," CESifo Working Paper Series 4860, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_4860
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    Cited by:

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    3. Erica Louis Mtenga & Michael F. Pesko, 2024. "The effect of vertical identification card laws on teenage tobacco and alcohol use," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(11), pages 2525-2557, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    minimum legal tobacco purchase age; smoking;

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I19 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Other

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