Later-life mortality and the repeal of federal prohibition

Despite a recent and dramatic re-evaluation of the health consequences of alcohol consumption, very little is known about the effects of in utero exposure to alcohol on long-run outcomes such as later-life mortality. Here, we investigate how state by year variation in alcohol control arising from th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of public economics 2024-10, Vol.238, p.105192, Article 105192
Main Authors: Jacks, David S., Pendakur, Krishna, Shigeoka, Hitoshi, Wray, Anthony
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alcohol
Federal prohibition
In utero exposure
Later-life mortality
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Summary:Despite a recent and dramatic re-evaluation of the health consequences of alcohol consumption, very little is known about the effects of in utero exposure to alcohol on long-run outcomes such as later-life mortality. Here, we investigate how state by year variation in alcohol control arising from the repeal of federal prohibition affects mortality for cohorts born in the 1930s. We find that individuals born in wet states experienced higher later-life mortality than individuals born in dry states, translating into a 3.3% increase in mortality rates between 1990 and 2004 for affected cohorts. •Effects of in utero alcohol exposure on later-life mortality are not well understood.•We examine federal prohibition’s repeal and its effect on cohorts born in the 1930s.•Individuals born in wet states experienced higher mortality in later life.
ISSN:0047-2727
DOI:10.1016/j.jpubeco.2024.105192