Intergenerational transmission of nicotine within families: Have e-cigarettes influenced passive smoking?

Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of the intergenerational transmission of nicotine within families through exposure to passive smoking, specifically focusing on the impact of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and other novel nicotine delivery products (NDP) on this transmission. The study uses data from the Health Survey for England (HSE) and saliva cotinine as an objective biomarker for both active and passive smoking.

Key Points:

* The study finds a strong intergenerational transmission of nicotine through passive smoking, with mothers having a transmission rate four times larger than fathers.
* The introduction of e-cigarettes and other NDP in England led to a reduction in nicotine transmission from parents to children, with the level of transmission decreasing to 51% for mothers and 77% for the combined transmission of both parents.
* The study uses an intention to treat difference-in-differences (DiD) model and a DiD model with actual exposure to treatment to assess the impact of e-cigarettes on nicotine transmission.
* The results suggest that e-cigarettes and other NDP have a smaller impact on children's passive smoking, with the transmission of cotinine to children by mothers reduced to around 40% of the level of transmission for conventional cigarettes.
* The study also includes robustness checks to ensure the validity of the results.

Main Message:
The main message of this text is that e-cigarettes and other NDP can reduce the intergenerational transmission of nicotine from parents to children. The study provides evidence that the introduction of e-cigarettes in England led to a significant reduction in nicotine transmission, particularly from mothers to children. The results suggest that a tax differential may be justified for e-cigarettes and other NDP, as they have a lower impact on passive smoking compared to conventional cigarettes. Overall, the study highlights the importance of considering the externalities of e-cigarettes and other NDP when designing tax policies.

Carrieri, Vincenzo, and Andrew M. Jones. “Intergenerational Transmission of Nicotine within Families: Have e-Cigarettes Influenced Passive Smoking?” Economics & Human Biology 31 (September 2018): 83–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2018.08.003.