The Economic Impact of Clean Indoor Air Laws: A Review of Alternative Approaches and of Empirical findings

This paper surveys existing approaches and empirical results to estimating the impact of Clean Indoor Air Laws on smoking behaviour, on the one hand, and on the hospitality industry, on the other. The purpose is twofold: first, identifying important gaps, if any, in the literature that could be addressed in future research; second, trying to unfold the reasons of the wide heterogeneity in the results and, as a consequence, to provide an assessment of the reliability of those results. The discussion begins with a look at the recent regulations that motivate the study of the impact of Clean Indoor Air Laws, with a special emphasis on European smoking bans. This is followed by critical reviews of studies and approaches to estimating the economic impact of Clean Indoor Air Laws. We can distinguish between a direct and an indirect effect of anti-smoking regulations: the direct effect on smoking behaviour and the indirect effect on the economic performance of the hospitality industry. The first review assesses those studies and approaches that have focused on the direct impact on smoking behaviour. The second review analyzes estimation of the economic impact on the hospitality industry. At the end of each of the two broad reviews, we summarize a selection of the empirical findings. The fifth section explores methodological differences and problems that may affect the empirical analysis reviewed in the previous sections with the purpose of shedding light on the wide heterogeneity in the empirical findings. The concluding section asks whether the studies reviewed in this paper place us in a better position to assess the economic impact of Clean Indoor Air Lawssmoking bans, smoking participation, smoking consumption

Backyard Politics, National Policies: Understanding the Opportunity Costs of National Fracking Bans

Some local communities in the United States, particularly in the Northeast, are scrambling to oppose natural gas production enabled by hydraulic fracturing (or fracing, fracking, or hydrofracking) in shale formations. Local opposition to the impacts of fracking is understandable, but recent proposals for national bans ignore a key, more potent threat. Due to a mismatch between the benefits and costs of fracking, on the one hand, and the distribution of political and legal influence, on the other, the voices of those opposed to extraction may drown out the more distant voices of those suffering from the widespread future effects of coal—the primary fossil alternative to gas. Energy policy processes must recognize the opportunity costs of banning gas, including the consequences of continuing to rely on coal as our primary electricity source. The negative environmental impacts of natural gas extraction must be addressed, and our focus on gas ought not to divert attention from the need to develop more sustainable energy alternatives. However, policymakers should not adopt the myopic view advocated by some anti-fracking activists. Rather, policymakers should formulate energy policies that fully weigh the costs and benefits of alternative courses of action and consider the interests of those under-represented in the policy process.The Kay Bailey Hutchison Center for Energy, Law, and Busines

Driving Under the (Cellular) Influence: The Link Between Cell Phone Use and Vehicle Crashes

The link between cell phone use while driving and crash risk has in recent years become an area of active research. The most notable of the over 125 studies has concluded that cell phones produce a four-fold increase in relative crash risk comparable to that produced by illicit levels of alcohol. In response, policy makers in fourteen states have either partially or fully restricted driver cell phone use. We investigate the causal link between cellular usage and crash rates by exploiting a natural experiment induced by a popular feature of cell phone plans in recent years'the discontinuity in marginal pricing at 9 pm on weekdays when plans transition from 'peak' to 'off-peak' pricing. We first document a jump in call volume of about 20-30% at 'peak' to 'off-peak' switching times for two large samples of callers from 2000-2001 and 2005. Using a double difference estimator which uses the era prior to price switching as a control (as well as weekends as a second control), we find no evidence for a rise in crashes after 9 pm on weekdays from 2002-2005. The 95% CI of the estimates rules out any increase in all crashes larger than .9% and any increase larger than 2.4% for fatal crashes. These estimates are at odds with the crash risks implied by the existing research. We confirm our results with three additional empirical approaches'we compare trends in cell phone ownership and crashes across areas of contiguous economic activity over time, investigate whether differences in urban versus rural crash rates mirror identified gaps in urban-rural cellular ownership, and finally estimate the impact of legislation banning driver cell phone use on crash rates. None of the additional analyses produces evidence for a positive link between cellular use and vehicle crashes.

Toxic Choices: The Theory and Impact of Smoking Bans

Smoking bans in the workplace and public places are now ubiquitous. While indices of such controls are commonly included in econometric models, there exists little theory that validates or analyzes them. This paper first proposes a theoretical model of maximizing behaviour on the part of smokers which serves as a vehicle to evaluate bans. It is a type of nicotine inventory management model where smoking during one phase of the day impacts utility in other periods. It also includes an intensity choice as part of the optimization. Calibrated model simulations suggest that, with the exception of heavy smokers, workplace bans have relatively minor impacts on smokers throughout most of the distribution due to substitution possibilities. We estimate quantile regressions using Canadian survey data for 2003 and .find that workplace bans have a surprisingly small impact on the number of cigarettes smoked. However, restrictions on smoking in the home are found to be of an order of importance greater, even when instrumented. The policy conclusion is that the effectiveness of workplace bans depends heavily upon whether there exist complementary restrictions on smoking in environments to which individuals may wish to switch their smoking following a workplace ban.Smoking bans, tobacco, nicotine, cotinine, intensity, quantile regression

Direct regulation is an efficient approach to industrial environmental improvement: empirical evidence and perceptions from chemical manufacturers in Ireland and Italy.

Industrial production is a major source of global pollution, and it is widely recognised that regulation is required to reduce this pollution for the benefit of society. However, there is considerable debate about the most effective approach to environmental regulation with respect to both environmental and competitive performance. This paper integrates complementary empirical evidence from two entirely separate projects with different approaches (scientific and econometric), from different countries (Ireland and Italy), in order to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of direct environmental regulation in practice. Quantitative pollution avoidance and compliance cost data from Ireland’s pharmaceutical-manufacturing sector were combined with questionnaire responses from 20 Irish pharmaceutical manufacturers and 25 Italian manufacturers of chemicals for building products. We conclude that direct command-and-control regulation is a highly effective approach, and that the efficiency of such regulation is often underestimated.environmental regulation, environmental performance, competitiveness.

Health Interventions and Risky Behaviour

This paper reviews the extent to which policy interventions can affect risky behaviours such as smoking, drinking and diet. The justification for such intervention is typically a market failure, broadly defined. The types of market failure typically encountered are discussed. First and second best interventions are examined and there is a review of the efficacy of such interventions with respect to Ireland.Risky behaviour, market failure

Towards informed and multi-faceted wildlife trade interventions

International trade in wildlife is a key threat to biodiversity conservation. CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, is the primary mechanism for controlling international wildlife trade and seeks to ensure it is sustainable, relying on trade bans and controls. However, there has been little comprehensive review of the effectiveness of CITES. Here, we review typical and atypical approaches taken to regulate wildlife trade in CITES and assert that it boasts few successes. We attribute this to: non-compliance, an over reliance on regulation, lack of knowledge of listed species, ignorance of the reality of market forces, and influence among CITES actors. To more effectively manage trade we argue that interventions need to go beyond regulation and should be multi-faceted, reflecting the complexity of wildlife trade. To inform such interventions we assert an intensive research effort is needed and we outline six key research areas: (1) factors undermining wildlife trade governance at the national level, (2) determining sustainable harvest rates for CITES species, (3) gaining the buy-in of local communities in implementing CITES, (4) supply and demand based market interventions, (5) means of quantifying illicit trade, and (6) political processes and influence within CITES

Banning open carry of unloaded handguns decreases firearm-related fatalities and hospital utilization.

BackgroundSince 1967, in California it has been illegal to openly carry a loaded firearm in public except when engaged in hunting or law enforcement. However, beginning January 1, 2012, public open carry of unloaded handguns also became illegal. Fatal and non-fatal (NF) firearm injuries were examined before and after adoption of the 2012 ban to quantify the effect of the new law on public health.MethodsState-level data were obtained directly from California and nine other US state inpatient and emergency department (ED) discharge databases, and the Centers for Disease Control Web-Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System. Case numbers of firearm fatalities, NF hospitalizations, NF ED visits, and state-level population estimates were extracted. Each incident was classified as unintentional, self-inflicted, or assault. Crude incidence rates were calculated. The strength of gun laws was quantified using the Brady grade. There were no changes to open carry in these nine states during the study. Using a difference-in-difference technique, the rate trends 3 years preban and postban were compared.ResultsThe 2012 open carry ban resulted in a significantly lower incident rate of both firearm-related fatalities and NF hospitalizations (p<0.001). The effect of the law remained significant when controlling for baseline state gun laws (p<0.001). Firearm incident rate drops in California were significant for male homicide (p=0.023), hospitalization for NF assault (p=0.021  male; p=0.025 female), and ED NF assault visits (p=0.04). No significant decreases were observed by sex for suicides or unintentional injury. Changing the law saved an estimated 337 lives (3.6% fewer deaths) and 1285 NF visits in California during the postban period.DiscussionOpen carry ban decreases fatalities and healthcare utilization even in a state with baseline strict gun laws. The most significant impact is from decreasing firearm-related fatal and NF assaults.Level of evidenceIII, epidemiology

The Age of Discipline: The Relevance of Age to the Reasonableness of Corporal Punishment

Bakgrund Tidigare studier belyser vikten av att företag integrerar marknadsfunktionen och logistikfunktionen, detta då en sådan integration leder till fördelar för företag. När funktionerna är integrerade kan företag bland annat möta kunders förväntningar vad gäller produkttillgänglighet och leveransservice på ett mer effektivt sätt än om funktionerna inte är integrerade. I dagsläget finns endast begränsade studier om hur integration mellan marknadsfunktioner och logistikfunktioner ser ut i praktiken. En empirisk kunskapslucka vad gäller integration mellan marknadsfunktioner och logistikfunktioner i svenska detaljhandelsföretag kunde således påvisas och det är dennakunskapslucka som legat till grund för denna studie. Syfte Denna studie syftar till att analysera om, och i så fall hur, marknadsfunktioner och logistikfunktioner inom svenska detaljhandelsföretag är integrerade. Genomförande För att uppnå syftet genomfördes intervjuer med medarbetare på marknadsfunktionen och logistikfunktionen inom tre svenska detaljhandelsföretag. Dessa företag var Cervera, Glitter och KappAhl. Vidare genomfördes observationer i två av respektive företags butiker för att undersöka produkttillgängligheten på aktuella kampanjvaror. I  samband med observationerna genomfördes intervjuer med företagens butikschefer. Slutligen intervjuades ett antal branschaktörer gällande deras erfarenheter av integration mellan marknadsfunktioner och logistikfunktioner inom detaljhandelsbranschen. Slutsats Enligt denna studie framgår att marknadsfunktioner och logistikfunktioner inom svenska detaljhandelsföretag till viss del kan anses integrerade men att integrationen kan förbättras. Funktionerna är främst integrerade genom att de utbyter dokument, delar på resurser, har en vilja att uppnå mål tillsammans, en gemensam vision samt har en gemensam planering. Under ett företags kampanjperiod är det framförallt av stor vikt med en effektiv integration mellan de två funktionerna då de behöver delge varandra information. Inom svenska detaljhandelsföretag påverkas integrationen mellan marknadsfunktionen och logistikfunktionen av organisationskultur, organisationsstruktur, kommunikation, informationssystem och funktionernas fysiska placering.Background Previous studies highlight the importance of integration between the marketing function and logistics function since it leads to several bene- fits for an organization. For example, an organization can in a more efficient way meet customers’ expectations regarding product availability and delivery service when the functions are integrated. It only exists limited studies on how integration between marketing functions and logistics functions appear in practice. An empirical gap in knowledge regarding integration between marketing functions and logistics functions in Swedish retail companies was detected. This knowledge gap has been the basis for this study. Aim This study aims to analyze whether or not the marketing functions and the logistics functions within Swedish retail companies are integrated, and in that case, to analyze how they are integrated. Execution To achieve the aim of this study, interviews were conducted with employyees of the marketing function and the logistics function within three Swedish retail companies. These companies were Cervera, Glitter and KappAhl. Observations were made in two of each company's stores to examine the availability of current campaign products. During the observations interviews were conducted with the stores manager. Finally, interviews were made with industry participants to investigate their experience of integration between marketing functions and logistics functions within the retail industry. Conclusion This study indicates that market functions and logistics functions within Swedish retail companies can be considered integrated to some extent but it also indicates that the integration can be improved. The functions are primarily integrated by exchanging documents, sharing resources, having a desire to achieve goals together and by sharing a vision and having a common planning. During periods with product campaigns it is important with an effective integration of the two functions since they need to share information. In Swedish retail companies the integration between the functions is affected by the organizational culture, organizational structure, communication, information systems and the physical placement of the functions