Charles Courtemanche

Professor of Economics and

Director of the Institute for the Study of

Free Enterprise

University of Kentucky, Gatton College of Business and Economics

550 South Limestone, Lexington, KY 40506

Phone: 859-323-7990
Email: courtemanche@uky.edu

Bio

Dr. Courtemanche is a Professor of Economics in the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky and Director of the Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise. He is a health economist and applied microeconomist with particular research interests in the economics of obesity, nutrition, tobacco, hospitals, health insurance, COVID-19, and big box retailers. He has published over 50 papers in a variety of journals including the Journal of the European Economic Association, Economic Journal, Journal of Public Economics, Journal of Health Economics, Health Affairs, Journal of Urban Economics, Journal of Economic History, Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, and Journal of Policy Analysis and Management. He has received research funding from the National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Agriculture, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Food and Drug Administration, Kentucky Hospital Association, Global Action to End Smoking, and Mercatus Center.

Dr. Courtemanche is also lead editor of the Southern Economic, a Research Associate in the Health Economics Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a Research Affiliate with the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).

Latest Publication

The Effect of E-Cigarette Flavor Bans on Tobacco Use

Journal of Health Economics

Advocates for sales restrictions on flavored e-cigarettes argue that flavors appeal to young people and lead them down a path to nicotine addiction. Using data from a variety of surveys (Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, and Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health), this study is among the first to examine the effect of state and local restrictions on the sale of flavored electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products on youth and young adult tobacco use. We find robust evidence that the adoption of an ENDS flavor restriction reduces short-run frequent and everyday ENDS use among youths by approximately two-to-three percentage-points. Some evidence suggests that this effect weakens after two years. We also document reductions in ENDS use among young adults aged 18-30 that appear to strengthen after two years. Finally, evidence suggests substitution from flavored ENDS to unflavored ENDS and cigarettes among certain age groups.