Job Market Paper
“Alcohol, Pregnancy, and Health Outcomes”
Abstract: Alcohol negatively impacts health outcomes at every stage of pregnancy, from conception timing to childhood development. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder alone is estimated to cost $1.29-10 billion annually in the U.S. Despite this, few public policies have been shown to affect alcohol consumption by women of reproductive age. In this study, I explore two policies endorsed by public health authorities, state-level alcohol excise taxes and laws mandating the placement of signs at the point-of-sale warning of the dangers of drinking during pregnancy. I study these policies across six data sources covering thirty years, using contemporary difference-in-difference methods. I also use a novel approach for standardizing alcohol taxes that vary across different products and in their administration. Contrary to earlier research, I find that neither policy leads to significant changes in drinking behavior or fetal health outcomes. current version
Works in Progress
- Longitudinal Trends in Medicaid Hearing Aid Coverage for Adults in the United States: 2003-2023 (with Michelle Arnold, Lauren Tonti, Serena Phillips, Stacie P. Kershner, Brandy Lipton, Brianna Heslin, Benjamin Ukert, and Michael F. Pesko)
- Medicaid Hearing Aid Mandates and Hearing Aid Purchasing Among Older Adults (with Benjamin Ukert, Michelle Arnold, Brandy Lipton, and Michael F. Pesko)
- The Effect of Paid Sick Leave on Healthcare Expenditures (with Kevin Callison, Michael F. Pesko, and Samuel Sturm)
- Cigarette Taxes and the Household Budget (with Samuel Sturm, Michael Darden, and Michael F. Pesko)
- Recreational Marijuana Laws and Body Weight (with Jang Hyeok An and Eye Eoun Jung)
