Understanding the Demand‐Side of an Illegal Market: A Case Study of the Prohibition of Menthol Cigarettes

B-Tier
Journal: Health Economics
Year: 2025
Volume: 34
Issue: 5
Pages: 956-971

Authors (6)

Don Kenkel (not in RePEc) Alan Mathios (Cornell University) Grace Phillips (not in RePEc) Revathy Suryanarayana (not in RePEc) Hua Wang (not in RePEc) Sen Zeng (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.335 = (α=2.01 / 6 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Economic research has long focused on illegal markets and the consequences of prohibitions. We provide a case study of the proposed prohibition of menthol cigarettes, which are smoked by almost 19 million people in the U.S. Illegal markets for menthol cigarettes could not only blunt the prohibition's intended consequence to reduce smoking but could also lead to unintended consequences. We use data from a discrete choice experiment. Our mixed logit model predicts a substantial potential consumer demand for illegal menthol cigarettes, especially if menthol e‐cigarettes are also illegal.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:wly:hlthec:v:34:y:2025:i:5:p:956-971
Journal Field
Health
Author Count
6
Added to Database
2026-01-25