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The Effect of West German Television on Smoking and Health: A Natural Experiment from German Reunification

Author

Listed:
  • Andrea Bernini

    (University of Oxford)

  • Sven A. Hartmann

    (Trier University & Institut für Arbeitsrecht und Arbeitsbeziehungen in der Europäischen Union (IAAEU))

Abstract

This paper examines the long-term impact of West German television exposure on smoking behavior in East Germany, with a focus on gender-specific responses. Using data from 1989 and 2002 and leveraging quasi-random variation in West German TV signal availability across East German regions, we find that TV exposure led to a substantial increase in smoking among women — by 10.7 percentage points in smoking probability and 68% in cigarette consumption — while having no measurable effect on men. This asymmetric effect reflects divergent pre-reunification norms: under socialism, female smoking was heavily stigmatized, and exposure to Western media relaxed these social constraints. The behavioral shift persisted over time, with exposed women reporting worse physical and mental health and higher healthcare utilization in 2002. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest a sizable increase in smoking-related mortality and healthcare costs. Our findings highlight how cultural integration through media can alter health behaviors and generate significant public health externalities in transitional societies.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Bernini & Sven A. Hartmann, 2025. "The Effect of West German Television on Smoking and Health: A Natural Experiment from German Reunification," IAAEU Discussion Papers 202502, Institute of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU).
    • Handle: RePEc:iaa:dpaper:202502
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • N34 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Europe: 1913-
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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