Smoking ban and life satisfaction: Evidence
from the UK

Hinks, Timothy; Katsaros, Andreas

Abstract

This paper contributes to the literature on happiness economics by testing whether a national smoking ban contributes to changes in smoking behaviour amongst smokers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Based on 'set-point'
theory and the idea of the hedonic treadmill it is argued that the ban may only have a temporary impact on happiness of smokers and non-smokers. By using an ordered probit model this paper tests whether there was any change in reported life satisfaction after the UK introduced a ban on smoking in public places.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2012
• Deposit Date: May 13, 2013
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 15, 2016
• Journal: Economic Issues
• Print ISSN: 1363-7029
• Publisher: Economic Issues Education Trust
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 17
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 23-48
• Keywords: smoking ban, set-point theory, life satisfaction
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/949349
• Publisher URL: http://www.economicissues.org.uk/Files/2012/112Hinks.pdf
• Contract Date: Nov 15, 2016