Because policies to address pollution are costly to implement and impose social burdens, it is important to understand the full benefits of pollution-reducing programs. An article in Health Economics provides compelling evidence that one such program offered considerable benefits for infant health, especially in vulnerable populations.
Based on an analysis of more than a decade of US birth records, the research shows that the Nitrogen Oxide Budget Trading Program—a cap-and-trade initiative to reduce ozone pollution—significantly improved infant health outcomes, particularly among Black, low-income, and single mothers.
The program was associated with up to a 19.5-gram higher birth weight, a 5.5% decrease in the incidence of low birth weight, and a 13% reduction in very preterm birth.
The author, Nahid Tavassoli, Assistant Professor of Economics at Austin Peay State University, considers the economic significance of the results in light of other environmental exposures and their later-life impacts.
"These findings underscore the life-saving potential of clean air regulations and offer critical insights for shaping future environmental and public health policy," she said.
URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hec.70047
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