263244 Examining the economic impact of a clean indoor air act

Monday, October 29, 2012 : 4:50 PM - 5:10 PM

John A. Tauras, PhD , Department of Economics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Frank J. Chaloupka, PhD , Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Jennifer D. Keith, MPH, CPH , Research & Evaluation Group, Public Health Management Corporation, Philadelphia, PA
Deborah Brown, MS, CHES , American Lung Association of the Mid-Atlantic, Camp Hill, PA
Joy Blankley Meyer , PACT, Camp Hill, PA
Gary Klein, PhD , IS, Public Health Management Corporation, Philadelphia, PA
Background: Pennsylvania's Clean Indoor Air Act (CIAA) took effect September 2008. Numerous stakeholders- legislators, media, and businesses– expressed interest in understanding economic impact on bars and restaurants subsequent to legislation. The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) funded the Pennsylvania Alliance to Control Tobacco to conduct a CIAA Economic Impact Study. Methods: Impact analysis used two primary data sets: county-level quarterly taxable sales in eating and drinking establishments for 2002-2009 obtained from the Department of Revenue; and CIAA exception records for 2008-2009 obtained from DOH. Prais-Winsten regressions were employed to assess effects of CIAA and law exceptions on taxable sales in restaurants and drinking establishments. Regressions controlled for general economic activity, trends in eating/drinking establishment sales, seasonality, fixed county characteristics, and urbanicity. Findings: CIAA had no significant effect on taxable sales in full/limited service restaurants or bars; county exception rate did not change this relationship. Restaurant and bar taxable sales were strongly related to overall economic conditions; sales increased with overall economic activity and vice-versa. Seasonality played a significant role on bar and restaurant taxable sales. Findings from this study are consistent with findings from a large/growing set of peer-reviewed studies for other jurisdictions concluding smoke-free policies have no negative effects on economic activity in eating and drinking establishments. Discussion: Pennsylvania's 2008 CIAA had no negative economic impact on full/limited service restaurants or drinking establishments. Pennsylvania's CIAA is not comprehensive; consequently, study findings can inform efforts to update CIAA to protect more Pennsylvanians from the dangers of secondhand smoke.

Learning Areas:
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines

Learning Objectives:
1. Explain the methodology of Pennsylvania’s Clean Indoor Air Act Economic Impact Study. 2. Describe exceptions in legislation and their impact on economic analyses. 3. Discuss study findings and public health implications.

Keywords: Tobacco Control, Health Law

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a co-author on the study and have been evaluating aspects of Pennsylvania's Clean Indoor Air Act since its inception in 2008.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.