The Effect of E-cigarette Taxes on Substance Use

Dhaval M. Dave, Yang Liang, Johanna Catherine Maclean, Caterina Muratori, Joseph J. Sabia

Public health advocates warn that the rapid growth of legal markets for electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) may generate a "gateway" to marijuana and harder drug consumption, particularly among teenagers. This study is the first to explore the effects of ENDS taxes on substance use. We find that a one-dollar increase in ENDS taxes (2019$) is associated with a 1-to-2 percentage point decline in teen marijuana use and a 0.8 percentage point reduction in adult marijuana use. This result is consistent with e-cigarettes and marijuana being economic complements. We find no evidence that ENDS taxes affect drug treatment admissions or consumption of illicit drugs other than marijuana such as cocaine, methamphetamine, or opioids over this sample period

MoreLess

Year of publication:	April 2024
Authors:	Dave, Dhaval ; Liang, Yang ; Maclean, Johanna Catherine ; Muratori, Caterina ; Sabia, Joseph J.
Institutions:	National Bureau of Economic Research (issuing body)
Publisher:	Cambridge, Mass : National Bureau of Economic Research
Subject:	Zigarette \| Cigarette \| Tabaksteuer \| Tobacco tax \| Spezielle Verbrauchsteuer \| Specific excise tax \| Drogenkonsum \| Drug consumption \| USA \| United States