An empirical investigation of heterogeneity in time preferences and smoking behaviors

Michel Louis Grignon ()

The Journal of Socio-Economics, 2009, vol. 38, issue 5, pages 739-751

Abstract: In this study I exploit the findings of a population survey in which I had the opportunity to introduce questions on time preferences. The study uses retrospective data to estimate the relationship between present-biased preferences and the decisions to start and quit smoking. Respondents stating present-biased preferences are not more prone to start smoking but quit later in life, and after more failed attempts. These preliminary results strongly suggest that smokers form a heterogeneous population and it can be argued that such heterogeneity means that taxes on cigarettes are a blunt and inefficient instrument of public health.

Keywords: Smoking; Present; biased; Time; preferences; France; Taxation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009

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Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:soceco:v:38:y:2009:i:5:p:739-751

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