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The Effect of E-Cigarette Taxes on Pre-Pregnancy and Prenatal Smoking, and Birth Outcomes

Abouk R, Adams S, Feng B, Maclean JC, Pesko MF. The Effect of E-Cigarette Taxes on Pre-Pregnancy and Prenatal Smoking, and Birth Outcomes. NBER Working Paper No. 26126, July 2019

This economic study using US birth records from 2013 and 2017 examined the effect of e-cigarette taxes on pre-pregnancy smoking, prenatal smoking, and birth outcomes (birth weight, gestational length, and Apgar 5 score). It found that,

“…e-cigarette tax adoption increases pre-pregnancy and prenatal smoking, implying that e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes are substitutes among pregnant women. Second, in line with clinical literature suggesting that both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes are harmful to developing fetuses, birth outcomes are largely unchanged following adoption of an e-cigarette tax… women who use nicotine products, either e-cigarette or traditional cigarettes, face worse birth outcomes than women who do not use these products while pregnant.”

More : https://www.nber.org/papers/w26126.pdf

by Dr.Stephen Hamann

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