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Infant Mortality and the Repeal of Federal Prohibition

Author

Listed:
  • David S. Jacks

    (Simon Fraser University)

  • Krishna Pendakur

    (Simon Fraser University)

  • Hitoshi Shigeoka

    (Simon Fraser University)

Abstract
Exploiting a newly constructed dataset on county-level variation in prohibition status from 1933 to 1939, this paper asks two questions: what were the effects of the repeal of federal prohibition on infant mortality? And were there any significant externalities from the individual policy choices of counties and states on their neighbors? We find that dry counties with at least one wet neighbor saw baseline infant mortality increase by roughly 3% while wet counties themselves saw baseline infant mortality increase by roughly 2%. Cumulating across the six years from 1934 to 1939, our results indicate an excess of 13,665 infant deaths that could be attributable to the repeal of federal prohibition in 1933.

Suggested Citation

  • David S. Jacks & Krishna Pendakur & Hitoshi Shigeoka, 2017. "Infant Mortality and the Repeal of Federal Prohibition," Working Papers 2017-036, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    • Handle: RePEc:hka:wpaper:2017-036
    Note: FI
    as

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    File URL: http://humcap.uchicago.edu/RePEc/hka/wpaper/Jacks_Pendakur_etal_2017_infant-mortality-prohibition.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Zhang, Xiaohan, 2020. "Parents in Temperance," MPRA Paper 101038, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Noghanibehambari, Hamid & Fletcher, Jason, 2023. "In utero and childhood exposure to alcohol and old age mortality: Evidence from the temperance movement in the US," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
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    6. Nakamura, Ryota & Yao, Ying, 2021. "Does Restricting the Availability of Cigarettes Reduce Smoking?," Discussion paper series HIAS-E-108, Hitotsubashi Institute for Advanced Study, Hitotsubashi University.
    7. Hamid Noghanibehambari & Farzaneh Noghani, 2023. "Long‐run intergenerational health benefits of women empowerment: Evidence from suffrage movements in the US," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(11), pages 2583-2631, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    federal prohibition; infant mortality; policy externalities;
    All these keywords.

    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
    • J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General
    • N30 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - General, International, or Comparative

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