Abstract
Previous studies of smoking risk beliefs have focused almost exclusively on risks to the smoker. Using an original set of survey data from Spain, we examine the public's perceived risks from exposures to environmental tobacco smoke. The risk categories considered included lung cancer, heart disease, life expectancy loss, and low birth weight for children of smoking mothers. Risk beliefs were quite high, often dwarfing scientific estimates of the risk. The results are consistent with overestimation of risks from highly publicized, low probability events.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Antoñanzas, Fernando, W. Kip Viscusi, Joan Rovira, Francisco J. Brana, Fabiola Portillo, and Irineu Carvalho. (2000). “Perception of Smoking Risks in Spain: Part I—Perception of Risks to the Smoker,” Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, this issue.
Casas, J., S. Lorenzo, and J. P. López. (1996). “Tabaquismo. Factores Implicados en su Adquisición y su Mantenimiento,” Medicina Clìnica 107(18), 706-710.
García, A., I. Hernández, and C. Advarez-Dardet. (1991). “El Abandono del Hábito Tabáquico en España,” Medicina Clínica 97, 161-165.
González, B., P. Barber, and E. Rodríguez. (1997). “El Tobaco: ¿Un Case de Externalidades Financieras en España?” In F. J. Brana ed., Análisis Económico de los Estilos de Vida: Externalidades y Coste Social. Madrid: Civitas.
González, J., F. Rodríguez, F. Martín, J. R. Banegas, and F. Villar. (1989). “Muertes Atribuibles al Consumo de Tabaco en España,” Medicina Clínica 92, 15-18.
Gonzalez, J., F. Villar, J. R. Banegas, F. Rodríguez, and J. M. Martín. (1997). “Tendencia de la Mortalidad Atribuible al Tabaquismo en España 1978-92,” Medicina Clínica 109, 577-582.
Hackshaw, A. K., M. R. Law, and N. J. Wald. (1997). “The Accumulated Evidence on Lung Cancer and Environmental Tobacco Smoke,” British Medical Journal 315, 980-988.
Hersch, Joni. (1996). “Smoking, Seat Belts, and Other Risky Consumer Decisions: Differences by Gender and Race,” Managerial and Decision Economics 17(5), 471-481.
Lichtenstein, Sarah, Paul Slovic, Baruch Fischhoff, Mark Layman, and Barbara Combs. (1978). “Judged Frequency of Events,” Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory 4(6), 551-578.
Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo. (1992). Encuesta Nacional de Salud. Madrid: Subdirección General de Información Sanitaria y Epidemiología.
Morgan, M. Granger. (1983). “On Judging the Frequency of Lethal Events: A Replication,” Risk Analysis 3(1), 11-16.
Pardell, H., E. Saltó, R. Tresserras, S. Juncá, E. Fernández, R. Vicente, A. Segura, E. Rius, and L. Salleras. (1997). “La Evolución del Hábito Tabáquico en Cataluña 1982-94,” Medicina Clínica 109, 125-129.
Rivers, Douglas, and Quang H. Vuong. (1988). “Limited Information Estimators and Exogeneity Tests for Simultaneous Probit Models,” Journal of Econometrics 39, 347-366.
Rovira, J. (1997). “Estudio Sobre la Percepción por la Población Española de los Reisgos Asociados al Consumo de Tabaco,” unpublished.
Rovira, J., and M. Escribano. (1989). Estimación del Impacto Económico a Largo Plazo de una Reducción del Consumo de Tabaco. Madrid: Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo.
Salleras, L., and H. Pardell. (1985). “Epidemiología del Consumo de Tabaco en la Población Adulta de Cataluña,” Medicina Clínica (Barcelona) 85, 525-528.
U.S. Bureau of the Census. (1998). Statistical Abstract of the United States 1998. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (1992). Respiratory Health Effects of Passive Smoking: Lung Cancer and Other Disorders. Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
U.S. Surgeon General. (1982). The Health Consequences of Smoking: Cancer. A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
U.S. Surgeon General. (1983). The Health Consequences of Smoking: Cardiovascular Disease. A Report of the U.S. Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
U.S. Surgeon General. (1984). The Health Consequences of Smoking: Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. A Report of the U.S. Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
U.S. Surgeon General. (1986). The Health Consequences of In¨oluntary Smoking. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
U.S. Surgeon General. (1989). Reducing the Health Consequences of Smoking: 25 Years of Progress. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Viscusi, W. Kip. (1990). “Do Smokers Underestimate Risks?” Journal of Political Economy 98(6), 1253-1270.
Viscusi, W. Kip. (1991). “Age Variations in Risk Perceptions and Smoking Decisions,” Review of Economics of Economics and Statistics 73, 577-588.
Viscusi, W. Kip. (1992). Smoking: Making the Risky Decision. New York: Oxford University Press.
Viscusi, W. Kip. (1995). “Cigarette Taxation and the Social Consequences of Smoking,” in James M. Poterba ed., Tax Policy and the Economy. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Viscusi, W. Kip. (1998a). “Constructive Cigarette Regulation,” Duke Law Journal 47(6), 1095-1131.
Viscusi, W. Kip. (1998b). Rational Risk Policy. New York: Oxford University Press.
Viscusi, W. Kip, Irineu Carvalho, Fernando Antonanzas, Joan Rovira, Francisco Brana, and Fabiola Portillo. (2000). “Smoking Risks in Spain: Part III—Determinants of Smoking Behavior,” Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, this issue.
Viscusi, W. Kip and Jahn K. Hakes. (1997). “Mortality Risk Perceptions: A Bayesian Reassessment,” Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 15(2), 135-150.
Viscusi, W. Kip, Jahn K. Hakes, and Alan Carlin. (1997). “Measures of Mortality Risks,” Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 14(3), 213-233.
Zweifel, Peter. (1999). “Commentary on Public Perception of Smoking Risks,” in Claude Jeanrenaud and Nils Soguel eds., Valuing the Cost of Smoking: Assessment Methods, Risk Perception and Policy Options. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rovira, J., Viscusi, W.K., Antoñanzas, F. et al. Smoking Risks in Spain: Part II—Perceptions of Environmental Tobacco Smoke Externalities. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 21, 187–212 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007859307096
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007859307096