Factors Affecting Taiwanese Smokers' Identification of Smuggled Cigarettes

Objectives: To analyze whether the perception that smuggled cigarettes are a greater health risk than legal cigarettes affects Taiwanese smokers' intention to distinguish smuggled cigarettes from legal cigarettes. Methods: The study used the Recursive Bivariate Probit Model to analyze data from a survey conducted in 2013 of 450 smokers of smuggled cigarettes. Results: The study found that when smokers believe they are more likely to get lung cancer from consuming smuggled cigarettes than they are from consuming legal cigarettes, the probability of the intention to identify smuggled cigarettes increased by 42.46%. Conclusions: The government should strengthen educational policies and programs that teach consumers about the health risks of smoking in general and the even greater health risks of smoking smuggled cigarettes in particular.