Income-related inequality in smoking habits: A comparative assessment in the European Union

Paolo Liberati, Giovanni Carnazza () and Giuliano Resce ()
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Giovanni Carnazza: Università di Roma Tre

No 263, Departmental Working Papers of Economics - University 'Roma Tre' from Department of Economics - University Roma Tre

Abstract: This paper investigates the association between income and the habit of smoking in 30 European countries. Using the European Health Interview Survey carried out between 2013 and 2015, the analysis focuses on the relationship among net monthly equivalised income of the household, the type of smoking behaviour, and the daily average number of cigarettes smoked. Income-related inequalities are estimated using the Erreygers Index. Results show that smoking is a habit which is mainly rooted in the lowest part of the income distribution both at individual and country level, regardless of the average level of per capita income. Considering that tobacco use worsens poverty conditions by diverting household spending from basic needs to tobacco itself, our results give support to a tax increase in order to discourage its use and to the implementation of educational and prevention programs aimed at helping people to quit smoking.

Keywords: Risky behaviours; Smoking; Income-related health inequalities; European Union (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I12 I14 O52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 31
Date: 2021-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eur and nep-hea
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Journal Article: Income-related inequality in smoking habits: A comparative assessment in the European Union (2023)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:rtr:wpaper:0263

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