Beer, Tea & Tobacco

Harvard economics lecturer Jeffrey A. Miron and Yale Law student Elina Tetelbaum, on Forbes, present findings against the logic that a higher legal drinking age reduces traffic deaths:

The major implication of these results is that the drinking age does not produce its main claimed benefit. Moreover, it plausibly generates side effects, like binge drinking and disrespect for the law--the very behavior that events planned for this month's alcohol awareness theme are designed to deter.

Ryan Avert puts those "tea party" cronies in their place:

Consider this -- core consumer prices rose slightly in March thanks primarily to an 11% increase in the cost of tobacco products (there's that Obama tax increase), and smoking is much more prevalent in the population among the poor.

Which isn't to argue against cigarette taxes; they're a valuable public health tool. It's just to note that pretty much any way you slice recent economic data, things end up being harder for those with lower incomes. Something to keep in mind tonight as you watch tea bag coverage rolling in.

John Stewart does too (pretty funny)