What Is the Effect of Education, Age, Gender, and a Workplace Smoke Ban on Smoking Behavior?

Executive Summary

What is the Effect of Education, Age, Gender, and a Workplace Smoke Ban on Smoking Behavior?

This research paper provides an empirical analysis on the effects of multiple variables such as education, age, gender, and a workplace smoke ban implementation on the smoking behavior of individuals. The information provided in this paper was based off of the paper “Do Workplace Smoking Bans Reduce Smoking Behavior?” written by William N. Evans and 2 other co-authors. There were 3 methods of analysis: an OLS regression model, an average marginal effect model, and an interaction model demonstrated with an average marginal effect. Other calculations which include graphs that represent a different version of summary statistics are attached at the end of the paper labeled Appendix. Since smoking behavior is an immense, popular topic due to the harmful effects it causes, this paper would benefit hospitals, drug and pharmaceutical companies, cigarette companies, cannabis companies (where legal cannabis is legal), schools, insurance companies and general businesses where there are many smokers such as law firms, retail stores, and fast food or regular dining restaurants.

Based on the results conducted from the data, age, gender, a workplace smoke ban execution, high school dropout, high school graduate, and some college education all significantly affect smoking behavior. Age, gender (female), and a workplace smoke ban have negative correlations with smoking behavior. However, high school dropouts, high school graduate, and some college education have positive correlations. Although they have positive correlations, it is shown that when an individual has a higher level of education, the beta coefficient is lower and decreases the higher the education level. A college graduate has an insignificant effect on smoking behavior. We recommend executing a country-wide smoking ban on high school and university campuses to decrease the smoking behavior on young individuals as there is a high effect of young individuals and lower education on smoking behavior.