Risk Beliefs and Smoking Behavior

Viscusi, W. Kip; Hakes, Jahn Karl

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Risk Beliefs and Smoking Behavior

Economic Inquiry, 2007

Vanderbilt Law and Economics Research Paper No. 07-18

38 Pages Posted: 10 Jun 2007

See all articles by W. Kip Viscusi

W. Kip Viscusi

Vanderbilt University - Law School; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Vanderbilt University - Department of Economics; Vanderbilt University - Owen Graduate School of Management; Vanderbilt University - Strategy and Business Economics

Jahn Karl Hakes

Albion College; Albion College - Department of Economics and Management

There are 2 versions of this paper

Abstract

We analyze smoking risk beliefs and smoking behavior using individual data from 1997 for the United States and 1998 for Massachusetts. Smokers and adults more generally overestimate the lung cancer risks of smoking and the mortality risks and life expectancy loss. Higher risk beliefs decrease the probability of starting to smoke and increase the probability of quitting among those who begin. Better-educated smokers have lower and more accurate risk beliefs, but education decreases the probability of smoking. Higher state cigarette taxes correlate with risk beliefs, but not with smoking status. The uninsured are especially likely to remain current smokers.

Keywords: smoking, risk beliefs, smoking risk, smoking behavior

JEL Classification: I12, I18, D80

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Viscusi, W. Kip and Hakes, Jahn Karl and Hakes, Jahn Karl, Risk Beliefs and Smoking Behavior. Economic Inquiry, 2007, Vanderbilt Law and Economics Research Paper No. 07-18, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=992355