Abigail Friedman, PhD
Research & Publications
Biography
News
Locations
Research Summary
Professor Friedman's research uses methods and models from health economics to identify the drivers of costly health behaviors, with a particular focus on adolescent and young adult tobacco use, as well as related disparities (e.g., by socioeconomic status, education, and mental health). She is particularly interested in understanding how policy can be leveraged to attenuate these behaviors and reduce disparities therein.
Currently, she conducts work in three areas. The first uses quasi-experimental methods to estimate the effects of federal, state, and local policies on conventional and electronic cigarette use, in order to inform more nuanced policymaking that accounts for the differing health impacts of these products. The second line of research considers how new tobacco products are affecting disparities in tobacco use, particularly by socioeconomic status and mental health. Finally, her work on mental health disparities in tobacco use focuses on identifying the drivers behind these differentials as well as potential means to close these gaps, particularly among adolescents and young adults.
Coauthors
Public Health Interests
Behavioral Health; Health Economics; Health Policy; Substance Use, Addiction
Selected Publications
- How does electronic cigarette access affect adolescent smoking?Friedman AS. How does electronic cigarette access affect adolescent smoking? Journal Of Health Economics 2015, 44:300-8.
- Evidence Suggests That The ACA's Tobacco Surcharges Reduced Insurance Take-Up And Did Not Increase Smoking Cessation.Friedman AS, Schpero WL, Busch SH. Evidence Suggests That The ACA's Tobacco Surcharges Reduced Insurance Take-Up And Did Not Increase Smoking Cessation. Health Affairs (Project Hope) 2016, 35:1176-83.
- Socioeconomic Disparities in Electronic Cigarette Use and Transitions from Smoking.Friedman AS, Horn SJL. Socioeconomic Disparities in Electronic Cigarette Use and Transitions from Smoking. Nicotine & Tobacco Research : Official Journal Of The Society For Research On Nicotine And Tobacco 2019, 21:1363-1370.
- Patterns of Youth Cigarette Experimentation and Onset of Habitual Smoking.Friedman AS, Buckell J, Sindelar JL. Patterns of Youth Cigarette Experimentation and Onset of Habitual Smoking. American Journal Of Preventive Medicine 2019, 56:803-810.
- Do Local Tobacco-21 Laws Reduce Smoking Among 18 to 20 Year-Olds?Friedman AS, Wu RJ. Do Local Tobacco-21 Laws Reduce Smoking Among 18 to 20 Year-Olds? Nicotine & Tobacco Research : Official Journal Of The Society For Research On Nicotine And Tobacco 2020, 22:1195-1201.
- Tobacco-21 laws and young adult smoking: quasi-experimental evidence.Friedman AS, Buckell J, Sindelar JL. Tobacco-21 laws and young adult smoking: quasi-experimental evidence. Addiction (Abingdon, England) 2019, 114:1816-1823.