The Developmental Effect of State Alcohol Prohibitions at the Turn of the 20th Century

Authors

Mary F. Evans, Claremont McKenna CollegeFollow
Eric Helland, Claremont McKenna CollegeFollow
Jonathan Klick, University of Pennsylvania
Ashwin Patel, New York University

Document Type

Article - preprint

Department

Economics (CMC)

Publication Date

2016

Abstract

We examine the quasi-randomization of alcohol consumption created by state-level alcohol prohibition laws passed in the United States in the early part of the twentieth century. Using a large dataset of World War II enlistees, we exploit the differential timing of these laws to examine their effects on adult educational attainment, obesity, and height. We find statistically significant effects for education and obesity that do not appear to be the result of pre-existing trends. Our findings add to the growing body of economic studies that examine the long-run impacts of in utero and childhood environmental conditions.

Rights Information

© 2016 Western Economic Association International

Terms of Use & License Information

Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

DOI

10.1111/ecin.12303

Recommended Citation

Evans, Mary F., Eric Helland, Jonathan Klick, and Ashwin Patel, The Developmental Effect of State Alcohol Prohibitions at the Turn of the 20th Century, Economic Inquiry 54(2): 762-777, 2016.