Research

Policymakers at the state and federal levels have argued that restricting online sales of e-cigarettes is a crucial policy tool to curb youth vaping. This study is the first to explore the effectiveness of statewide restrictions on online sales of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) on teen and young adult ENDS use. Using data from four national datasets (Monitoring the Future, State and Combined Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System surveys, Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health, and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey) and a generalized difference-in-differences approach, we find no evidence that such laws are effective at curbing youth ENDS use. With 95 percent confidence, we can rule out that online sales restrictions reduced prior-month ENDS use by more than 3.6 percent of the pre-treatment mean vaping rate. An exploration of mechanisms suggests that (1) while restrictions on online sales may have a small negative effect on online purchases, youths are able to substitute to other sources for ENDS products to compensate for reduced online access, and (2) online sources are a very rare source of e-cigarettes for youths. Finally, we also find no evidence that online sales restrictions reduce adult ENDS use.

This paper shows that social acceptance of same-sex couples affects their location decisions, especially those with college degrees. Mean utilities of each city are derived from a conditional logit model, separately for same-sex and different-sex couples with and without college degrees. I estimate how mean utility varies with acceptance for each group. To deal with endogeneity, I use a novel instrument based on the historical number of churches. The results show that acceptance has a substantial impact on the location choices of college-educated same-sex couples. Counterfactual analysis suggests significant implications for local productivity due to educational sorting.

Paid sick leave mandates (PSLs), which have been adopted by 18 states and the District of Columbia, require employers to provide regular wages when workers take short-term leave for their own or a family member’s medical needs. This study is the first to explore the effects of PSL adoption on participation in the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) programs, as well as the health of persons with disabilities. We find that statewide PSLs are associated with a 6-9 percent increase in initial claims for SSI and joint SSI/SSDI benefits. These applications translate to an increase in beneficiaries, strongest among children under age 18. An exploration of the primary mechanisms likely underlying this result reveals PSL-induced (1) increases in time spent offering informal caregiving of those with disabilities, which may reduce the costs of applying to SS(D)I programs, and (2) increases in health care utilization among children with disabilities. Evidence for negative work hours effects of PSLs is weaker, concentrated among spouses of persons with disabilities. Finally, we find that PSL mandates lead to modest improvements in health among both children and adults with disabilities.

With the goal of curbing electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use among youths, 40 states and the District of Columbia have adopted restrictions on nicotine vaping at elementary and secondary (K-12) schools. This study is the first to estimate the effect of K-12 school vaping restrictions (SVRs) on ENDS use among youth. Using data from several nationally representative data sources and a generalized difference-in-differences approach, we find little evidence that school indoor vaping restrictions reduce youth ENDS use. With 95% confidence, we can rule out SVR-induced youth vaping declines of more than 3.5%. Descriptive evidence suggests that students may respond to SVRs by substituting to smaller vaping devices and vaping in school locations that are less easily detectable by school employees (e.g., bathrooms and locker rooms). In contrast, we find that comprehensive vaping restrictions covering school campuses, workplaces, restaurants, and drinking establishments are associated with a 1.5-2.6 percentage-point reduction in teen nicotine vaping. This result is concentrated on the initiation margin of use and is consistent with the hypothesis that broader place-based restrictions increase the costs of youth ENDS use.