The Effect of County-level Smoke-free Air (SFA) Policies on Smoking and Drinking

This study investigates the effect of county-level Smoke-free Air Policy on smoking outcomes, smoking initiation and cession, as well as drinking outcomes in the USA, while very little research is done using local level SFA policies. Data on smoking and drinking behaviors are taken from National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY 1997) with geographic information. County-level cigarette prices and SFA policies indices are linked to the survey data using state and county identifiers. A modified two-part model is employed to estimate smoking and drinking outcomes of the respondents in last month, while discrete time hazard model is used to analyze the effects of SFA policy on smoking initiation and cessation. The results indicate that to incorporate local data into state-level data could yield a more accurate results by reducing measurement errors, and to enhance SFA policies and cigarette prices will help to reduce cigarettes consumption, smoking initiation, and to increase smoking cessation. The results also indicate that the effect of implementation of comprehensive smoking bans may go beyond the reduction of smoking and extend to drinking consumption.