IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0050576.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Why Have Tobacco Control Policies Stalled? Using Genetic Moderation to Examine Policy Impacts

Author

Listed:
  • Jason M Fletcher

Abstract

Background: Research has shown that tobacco control policies have helped produce the dramatic decline in use over the decades following the 1964 surgeon general’s report. However, prevalence rates have stagnated during the past two decades in the US, even with large tobacco taxes and expansions of clean air laws. The observed differences in tobacco control policy effectiveness and why policies do not help all smokers are largely unexplained. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the importance of genetics in explaining response to tobacco taxation policy by testing the potential of gene-policy interaction in determining adult tobacco use. Methods: A moderated regression analysis framework was used to test interactive effects between genotype and tobacco policy in predicting tobacco use. Cross sectional data of US adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) linked with genotype and geocodes were used to identify tobacco use phenotypes, state-level taxation rates, and variation in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (CHRNA6) genotype. Tobacco use phenotypes included current use, number of cigarettes smoked per day, and blood serum cotinine measurements. Results: Variation in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor was found to moderate the influence of tobacco taxation on multiple measures of tobacco use. Individuals with the protective G/G polymorphism (51% of the sample) responded to taxation while others had no response. The estimated differences in response by genotype were C/C genotype: b = −0.016 se = 0.018; G/C genotype: b = 0.014 se = 0.017; G/G genotype: b = −0.071 se 0.029. Conclusions: This study provides novel evidence of “gene-policy” interaction and suggests a genetic mechanism for the large differences in response to tobacco policies. The inability for these policies to reduce use for individuals with specific genotypes suggests alternative methods may be needed to further reduce use.

Suggested Citation

  • Jason M Fletcher, 2012. "Why Have Tobacco Control Policies Stalled? Using Genetic Moderation to Examine Policy Impacts," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(12), pages 1-6, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0050576
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050576
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0050576
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0050576&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0050576?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chaloupka, Frank J. & Warner, Kenneth E., 2000. "The economics of smoking," Handbook of Health Economics, in: A. J. Culyer & J. P. Newhouse (ed.), Handbook of Health Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 29, pages 1539-1627, Elsevier.
    2. Jonathan Gruber & Jonathan Zinman, 2001. "Youth Smoking in the United States: Evidence and Implications," NBER Chapters, in: Risky Behavior among Youths: An Economic Analysis, pages 69-120, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Ai, Chunrong & Norton, Edward C., 2003. "Interaction terms in logit and probit models," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 80(1), pages 123-129, July.
    4. Jérôme Adda & Francesca Cornaglia, 2006. "Taxes, Cigarette Consumption, and Smoking Intensity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(4), pages 1013-1028, September.
    5. Becker, Gary S & Murphy, Kevin M, 1988. "A Theory of Rational Addiction," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 96(4), pages 675-700, August.
    6. Jonathan Gruber, 2001. "Risky Behavior among Youths: An Economic Analysis," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number grub01-1, June.
    7. Jason M. Fletcher & Partha Deb & Jody L. Sindelar, 2009. "Tobacco Use, Taxation and Self Control in Adolescence," NBER Working Papers 15130, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Samuel Baker & Pietro Biroli & Hans van Kippersluis & Stephanie von Hinke, 2022. "Beyond Barker: Infant Mortality at Birth and Ischaemic Heart Disease in Older Age," Working Papers 2022-015, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    2. Fletcher, Jason & Kumar, Sanjeev, 2014. "Religion and risky health behaviors among U.S. adolescents and adults," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 123-140.
    3. Nicholas W Papageorge & Kevin Thom, 2020. "Genes, Education, and Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 18(3), pages 1351-1399.
    4. Jason M. Fletcher & Qiongshi Lu, 2021. "Health policy and genetic endowments: Understanding sources of response to Minimum Legal Drinking Age laws," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(1), pages 194-203, January.
    5. Barth, Daniel & Papageorge, Nicholas W. & Thom, Kevin, 2017. "Genetic Ability, Wealth, and Financial Decision-Making," IZA Discussion Papers 10567, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. von Hinke, Stephanie & Sørensen, Emil N., 2023. "The long-term effects of early-life pollution exposure: Evidence from the London smog," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    7. Bierut, Laura & Biroli, Pietro & Galama, Titus J. & Thom, Kevin, 2023. "Challenges in studying the interplay of genes and environment. A study of childhood financial distress moderating genetic predisposition for peak smoking," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    8. Biroli, Pietro & Zwyssig, Laura, 2021. "Moral Hazard Heterogeneity: Genes and Health Insurance Influence Smoking after a Health Shock," IZA Discussion Papers 14176, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. van den Berg, Gerard J. & Modin, Bitte, 2013. "Economic Conditions at Birth, Birth Weight, Ability, and the Causal Path to Cardiovascular Mortality," IZA Discussion Papers 7605, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Rita Dias Pereira & Pietro Biroli & Titus Galama & Stephanie von Hinke & Hans van Kippersluis & Cornelius A. Rietveld & Kevin Thom, 2022. "Gene-Environment Interplay in the Social Sciences," Papers 2203.02198, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2022.
    11. Jason M. Fletcher, 2019. "Environmental bottlenecks in children’s genetic potential for adult socio-economic attainments: Evidence from a health shock," Population Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 73(1), pages 139-148, January.
    12. Melanie Goisauf & Kaya Akyüz & Gillian M. Martin, 2020. "Moving back to the future of big data-driven research: reflecting on the social in genomics," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 7(1), pages 1-9, December.
    13. Yu.G. Myslyakova & E.A. Shamova & N.P. Neklyudova, 2020. "Social and Economic Genotype Territories of the Advancing Development on Example of the Ural Region," Journal of Applied Economic Research, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Ural Federal University, vol. 19(3), pages 310-328.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Andrew Leicester & Peter Levell, 2016. "Anti‐Smoking Policies and Smoker Well‐Being: Evidence from Britain," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 37, pages 224-257, June.
    2. Odermatt, Reto & Stutzer, Alois, 2015. "Smoking bans, cigarette prices and life satisfaction," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 176-194.
    3. Sunday Azagba & Mesbah Sharaf, 2011. "Cigarette Taxes and Smoking Participation: Evidence from Recent Tax Increases in Canada," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-18, May.
    4. Erik Nesson, 2017. "Heterogeneity in Smokers' Responses to Tobacco Control Policies," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(2), pages 206-225, February.
    5. Jon P. Nelson, 2010. "What is Learned from Longitudinal Studies of Advertising and Youth Drinking and Smoking? A Critical Assessment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-57, March.
    6. Abel Brodeur, 2012. "Smoking, Income and Subjective Well-Being: Evidence from Smoking Bans," Working Papers halshs-00664269, HAL.
    7. Chen, Li-Shiun & Wang, Ping & Yao, Yao, 2018. "Power of personalized smoking cessation: A unified lifecycle framework for policy evaluation," Working Paper Series 20333, Victoria University of Wellington, School of Economics and Finance.
    8. Jérôme Adda & Francesca Cornaglia, 2010. "The Effect of Bans and Taxes on Passive Smoking," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 2(1), pages 1-32, January.
    9. Christopher Carpenter & Philip J. Cook, 2007. "Cigarette Taxes and Youth Smoking: New Evidence from National, State, & Local Youth Risk Behavior Surveys," NBER Working Papers 13046, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Sophie Massin, 2011. "La notion d'addiction en économie : La théorie du choix rationnel à l'épreuve," Revue d'économie politique, Dalloz, vol. 121(5), pages 713-750.
    11. Chung-Ping Loh & Chin-Shyan Chen & Tsai-Ching Liu, 2009. "Multiple Dimensions of Cigarette Smoking and Responsiveness to Cigarette Price Changes in Taiwan," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 30(2), pages 203-213, June.
    12. Cornelia Chadi, 2022. "Smoking Bans, Leisure Time and Subjective Well-being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(8), pages 3765-3797, December.
    13. Carlo Ciccarelli & Pierpaolo Pierani & Silvia Tiezzi, 2014. "Secular trends in tobacco consumption: the case of Italy, 1871-2010," Department of Economics University of Siena 700, Department of Economics, University of Siena.
    14. Erik Nesson, 2012. "The Distributional Effects of Tobacco Control Policies On Adult Smoking Behavior," Working Papers 201207, Ball State University, Department of Economics, revised Jun 2012.
    15. Bonnet, Céline & Réquillart, Vincent, 2013. "Tax incidence with strategic firms in the soft drink market," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 77-88.
    16. Carpenter, Christopher & Cook, Philip J., 2008. "Cigarette taxes and youth smoking: New evidence from national, state, and local Youth Risk Behavior Surveys," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 287-299, March.
    17. Philip J. Cook & Rebecca Hutchinson, 2006. "Smoke Signals: Adolescent Smoking and School Continuation," NBER Working Papers 12472, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    18. Gregor Pfeifer & Mirjam Reutter & Kristina Strohmaier, 2020. "Goodbye Smokers’ Corner: Health Effects of School Smoking Bans," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 55(3), pages 1068-1104.
    19. Li-Shiun Chen & Ping Wang & Yao Yao, 2017. "Smoking, Health Capital, and Longevity: Evaluation of Personalized Cessation Treatments in a Lifecycle Model with Heterogeneous Agents," NBER Working Papers 23820, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    20. Ian Irvine & William Sims, 2014. "The simple analytics of tobacco taxation with illegal supply," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 47(4), pages 1153-1172, November.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0050576. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.