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The Governmental Composition Of The Insurance Costs Of Smoking, W. Kip Viscusi
The Governmental Composition Of The Insurance Costs Of Smoking, W. Kip Viscusi
Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications
The estimated health risks from smoking have significant external financial consequences for society. Studies at the national level indicate that cigarettes are selffinancing since external costs such as those due to illnesses are offset by cost savings associated with premature death, chiefly pension costs. This paper extends this analysis to all 50 states and considers the costs considered in the state attorneys general suits against the cigarette industry. Cigarettes are always self-financing from the standpoint of costs to each state. The extent of the cost savings is less than at the federal level. However, smokers' higher medical costs are outweighed …
From Cash Crop To Cash Cow, W. Kip Viscusi
From Cash Crop To Cash Cow, W. Kip Viscusi
Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications
The 1990s have witnessed a blizzard of antismoking efforts. Hillary Clinton and a variety of supporters of the Clinton health care plan urged dramatically higher cigarette taxes to pay for expanded health insurance efforts. And many state and local governments have imposed smoking restrictions or have undertaken antismoking ad campaigns. Those antismoking efforts recently culminated with a pro posed $368.5 billion settlement to address many liability and regulatory issues. The focal point of the bargain was the settlement of a series of lawsuits filed by the states against cigarette companies to recoup smoking-related Medicaid costs. Several state attorney generals composed …
Do Smokers Underestimate Risks?, W. Kip Viscusi
Do Smokers Underestimate Risks?, W. Kip Viscusi
Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications
This paper uses a national survey of 3,119 individuals to examine the effect of lung cancer risk perceptions on smoking activity. Both smokers and nonsmokers greatly overestimate the lung cancer risk of cigarette smoking, and the extent of the overestimation is much greater than the extent of underestimation. These risk perceptions in turn significantly reduce the probability of smoking, as suggested by an economic model of risky consumption decisions. Cigarette excise taxes in effect endow individuals with additional risk perceptions comparable to their current assessed lung cancer risks