Dr. Sven Hartmann and Dr. Andrea Bernini (University of Houston) examine the influence of Western media on smoking behavior in the former GDR in a new study. The study shows that women who had access to West German television before reunification later smoked more frequently and, in 2002, consumed on average 68 percent more cigarettes than women without such access.
While smoking rates among men remained largely unchanged, Western media shifted social norms around smoking particularly for women. The long-term consequences are still visible today in the form of higher health care costs in regions that previously received West German television. The findings highlight that media content can have lasting effects on health behavior.
Andrea Bernini und Sven Hartmann, The Effect of West German Television on Smoking and Health: A Natural Experiment from German Reunification, Journal of Health Economics, 104: 103077
While smoking rates among men remained largely unchanged, Western media shifted social norms around smoking particularly for women. The long-term consequences are still visible today in the form of higher health care costs in regions that previously received West German television. The findings highlight that media content can have lasting effects on health behavior.
Andrea Bernini und Sven Hartmann, The Effect of West German Television on Smoking and Health: A Natural Experiment from German Reunification, Journal of Health Economics, 104: 103077
