The impact of the Master Settlement Agreement on cigarette consumption.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Observational longitudinal econometric policy analysis (level assigned by design analogy, not clinical CEBM)
PubMed 15499706 · doi:10.1002/pam.20050
What was done
Using a nationwide sample from 1990 to 2002, researchers estimated an econometric model of the decision to smoke cigarettes to determine the effect of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement and separate state settlements on cigarette demand.
What was found
The settlements reduced cigarette smoking primarily through price increases, with additional policy instruments influencing younger smokers. By 2002, the settlements reduced overall smoking rates by 13 percent for individuals aged 18 to 20 and older than 65, and by 5 percent for ages 21 to 64.
Why it matters
This paper quantifies the age-specific effects of the nationwide tobacco Master Settlement Agreement on smoking prevalence, identifying price increases as the primary driver of consumption changes.
Limits
The abstract does not report the sample size, confidence intervals, exact data sources, or specific econometric controls used to distinguish settlement effects from broader concurrent tobacco control measures.
Cited by
- partial Following the Master Settlement Agreement, cigarette consumption in America decreased by more than half.