Authors

W. Kip Viscusi

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

The Review of Economics and Statistics

Publication Date

1991

ISSN

0034-6535

Page Number

577

Keywords

smoking, addiction, state regulation, Surgeon General's reports

Disciplines

Health Law and Policy | Law

Abstract

The results of a national survey of smoking risks and smoking behavior are analyzed. Smoking risk perceptions follow the expected patterns given age differences in risk information acquired and differences in information associated with smoking status. Risk perceptions are greater as one moves to younger age cohorts, where overall lung cancer risks are substantially overestimated. These risk perceptions in turn have a negative effect on smoking decisions, where younger individuals behave no differently in terms of the manner in which they incorporate risk perceptions into their smoking decisions.

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