Working Papers in Economics,
University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics

Abstract: This study differs from most previous studies on smoking initiation by studying the age of smoking onset, and not merely smoking initiation. We apply duration analysis to estimate the determinants of the age of smoking initiation by using data from a questionnaire mailed to a sample of smokers in Sweden. We examine the impact of individual characteristics and public policies such as laws, regulations and cigarette prices, on the age of smoking initiation. Public polices do not show a significant effect on the age of smoking initiation. However, since the effects are difficult to measure, the insignificant parameters of public policies should be interpreted with caution. The significance of time trend might reflect long term effects of public policies. We also discuss the effects of public policies at some length in light of our results. Moreover, we find that men start smoking at younger age than women, and that smokers with smoking parents start at a younger age than smokers with non-smoking parents.

Keywords: Age of starting smoking; duration analysis; policy

JEL-codes: C41; I18

21 pages, November 30, 2001

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