Publication
Cigarette Taxes, Smoking, and Health in the Long-Run
with Andrew Friedson, Katherine Meckel, Daniel Rees, and Daniel W. Sacks
Journal of Public Economics, 2023
Abstract: Medical experts have argued forcefully that using cigarettes harms health, prompting the adoption of myriad anti-smoking policies. The association between smoking and mortality may, however, be influenced by unobserved factors, making it difficult to discern the underlying long-term causal relationship. In this study, we explore the effects of cigarette taxes experienced as a teenager, which are arguably exogenous, on adult smoking participation and mortality. A one-dollar increase in cigarette taxes experienced at ages 14-17 is associated with an 8 percent reduction in adult smoking participation and a 4 percent reduction in mortality. Mortality effects are most pronounced for heart disease and lung cancer.
Exposure to Cigarette Taxes as a Teenager and the Persistence of Smoking into Adulthood
with Andrew Friedson, Katherine Meckel, Daniel Rees, and Daniel W. Sacks
Health Economics, 2024
Abstract: Are teenage and adult smoking causally related? Recent anti-tobacco policy is predicated on the assumption that preventing teenagers from smoking will ensure that fewer adults smoke, but direct evidence in support of this assumption is scant. Using data from three nationally representative sources and instrumenting for teenage smoking with cigarette taxes experienced at ages 14-17, we document a strong positive relationship between teenage and adult smoking: deterring 10 teenagers from smoking through raising cigarette taxes roughly translates into 5 fewer adult smokers. We conclude that efforts to reduce teenage smoking can have important, long-lasting consequences on smoking participation and, presumably, health.
Working Papers
with Haizhen Lin and George Ball
Abstract: Medical device startups are a pivotal dimension of new product innovation in the U.S. healthcare industry. Numerous innovative medical devices originate from startups that rely on two primary sources of external funding: independent venture capital (IVC) and corporate venture capital (CVC). CVC firms bring unique industry knowledge and incentives to startups that may impact startup’s operational performance outcomes. Using difference-in-difference models and an instrumental variable strategy, we study the effect of CVCs on the operational outcomes of medical device startups. We find that CVCs foster more startup product approvals, but once launched, these products experience worse product quality, indicating a double-edged sword to CVC funding. Post-hoc analyses reveal that this negative quality effect for startups is accentuated when CVC firms lack prior experience in the startups’ product market, and when CVC firms have their own product quality problems.
Work in Progress
Genealogical and Network Analysis on Medical Device Product Failures
with Jason Fletcher
Acquisition and Med-Tech Firm Performance
With Haizhen Lin