Where There's Smoking, There's Fire: The Effects of Smoking Policies on the Incidence of Fires in the United States.

Sara Markowitz

NBER Working Paper No. 16625
Issued in December 2010
NBER Program(s):   HE   LE

Fires and burns are among the leading causes of unintentional death in the U.S. Most of these deaths occur in residences, and cigarettes are a primary cause. In this paper, I explore the relationship between smoking, cigarette policies, and fires. As fewer people smoke, there are less opportunities for fires, however, the magnitude of any reduction is in question as the people who quit may not necessarily start fires. Using a state-level panel, I find that reductions in smoking and increases in cigarette prices are associated with fewer fires. However, laws regulating indoor smoking are associated with increases in fires.

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This paper was revised on December 5, 2011

Acknowledgments

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