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A Pint for a Pound? Reevaluating the Relationship Between Minimum Drinking Age Laws and Birth Outcomes

Author Info

  • Alan I. Barreca

    ()

    (Department of Economics, Tulane University)

  • Marianne E. Page

    ()

    (Department of Economics, University of California, Davis)

Abstract

Previous research documents a substantive, positive, correlation between the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) and birth outcomes. Using an improved empirical framework, we reach a different conclusion: there is little or no relationship between the minimum legal drinking age and the health of infants born to young mothers. We do, however, find that MLDA policies are associated with the sex ratio at birth. Our estimates suggest that raising the MLDA may reduce fetal losses.

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File URL: http://econ.tulane.edu/RePEc/pdf/tul1220.pdf
File Function: First Version, October 2012
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Paper provided by Tulane University, Department of Economics in its series Working Papers with number 1220.

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Length: 29 pages
Date of creation: Oct 2012
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:tul:wpaper:1220
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Web page: http://econ.tulane.edu

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Keywords: alcohol; minimum drinking age; infant health; birthweight; fetal death;

Find related papers by JEL classification:

  • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
  • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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  1. Nicholas J. Sanders & Charles F. Stoecker, 2011. "Where Have All the Young Men Gone? Using Gender Ratios to Measure Fetal Death Rates," NBER Working Papers 17434, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  2. Carpenter, Christopher, 2005. "Youth alcohol use and risky sexual behavior: evidence from underage drunk driving laws," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 613-628, May.
  3. Sen, Bisakha, 2002. "Does alcohol-use increase the risk of sexual intercourse among adolescents? Evidence from the NLSY97," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(6), pages 1085-1093, November.
  4. R. Kaestner, 2000. "A note on the effect of minimum drinking age laws on youth alcohol consumption," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 18(3), pages 315-325, 07.
  5. Rashad, Inas & Kaestner, Robert, 2004. "Teenage sex, drugs and alcohol use: problems identifying the cause of risky behaviors," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 493-503, May.
  6. Tara Watson & Angela Fertig, 2008. "Minimum Drinking Age Laws and Infant Health Outcomes," NBER Working Papers 14118, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  7. Douglas Almond & Lena Edlund & Mårten Palme, 2009. "Chernobyl's Subclinical Legacy: Prenatal Exposure to Radioactive Fallout and School Outcomes in Sweden," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 124(4), pages 1729-1772.
  8. Rees, Daniel I. & Argys, Laura M. & Averett, Susan L., 2001. "New evidence on the relationship between substance use and adolescent sexual behavior," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(5), pages 835-845, September.
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Cited by:

  1. von Hinke Kessler Scholder, S. & Wehby, G. L. & Lewis, S. & Zuccolo, L., 2014. "Alcohol Exposure In Utero and Child Academic Achievement," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 14/01, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.

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