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Urban Mortality and the Repeal of Federal Prohibition

Author

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  • David S. Jacks
  • Krishna Pendakur
  • Hitoshi Shigeoka

Abstract

Federal prohibition was one of the most ambitious policy interventions in US history. However, the removal of restrictions on alcohol after 1933 was not uniform. Using a new balanced panel on annual deaths, we find that city-level repeal is associated with a 11.6% decrease in the rate of death by non-automobile accidents, a category which critically include accidental poisonings. We relate this finding to a large literature which emphasizes – but never precisely quantifies – the mortality effects of adulterated alcohol during federal prohibition. Thus, repeal likely led to a large annual reduction in accidental poisonings. However, combined with previous results showing even larger increases in infant mortality, repeal nonetheless likely had negative contemporaneous effects on public health.

Suggested Citation

  • David S. Jacks & Krishna Pendakur & Hitoshi Shigeoka, 2020. "Urban Mortality and the Repeal of Federal Prohibition," NBER Working Papers 28181, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:28181
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    Cited by:

    1. Anna Aizer & Gabrielle Grafton & Santiago Pérez, 2025. "Daughters as Safety Net? Family Responses to Parental Employment Shocks: Evidence from Alcohol Prohibition," NBER Working Papers 33346, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Jacks, David S. & Pendakur, Krishna & Shigeoka, Hitoshi & Wray, Anthony, 2024. "Later-life mortality and the repeal of federal prohibition," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 238(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H73 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Interjurisdictional Differentials and Their Effects
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • N3 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy

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