Consumer risk perception and addictive consumption behavior

The aim was to establish a causal structural model to examine consumers’ addictive consumption decisions about tobacco. It was found that a consumer forms his/her risk perception based on three information sources. Moreover, a consumer’s risk perception can directly influence his/her attitude toward cigarette smoking and also indirectly influence his/her intention to start smoking. From this study, managerial implications for public health professionals and for tobacco manufacturers can be drawn. For the former, it was found that: (i) antismoking advertising should intensively focus on escalating consumer risk perception and should be targeted toward males, the elderly, or persons with less education; and (ii) antismoking advertising and campaigns should be directed towards encouraging less addicted smokers to cease smoking. For the latter, tobacco manufacturers should employ social marketing techniques encouraging people not to smoke in public areas and discouraging young people from smoking.