Smoking: Making The Risky Decision

Features of Smoking: Making the Risky Decision

Are the risks of smoking exaggerated Has there been an open and rational discussion about the risks of smoking This book attempts to answer these and many other questions about smoking It provides a detailed empirical presentation on smoking behavior as a risky consumer decision Using new empirical data based on several national and regional surveys Viscusi addresses several issues including the sources of information that people have about the risks of smoking the accuracy of their perceptions of risks associated with smoking and the consistency of smoking decisions with other risky behaviorscrutinizing issues such as whether smokers value risk differently than those who wear safety belts Viscusi also looks at the differences in age groups and how they assess these risks based on public information He provides new insight into the degree to which individuals understand smoking risks and take these risks into account in their smoking behavior With its detailed empirical data and its examination of individual decisionmaking processes this work will interest researchers in public health public policy analysis psychology and economics as well as anyone concerned with this important issue