imputed value to smokers, as measured by the amount they're willing to pay, greater still.
Inferring preferences of addicts by 'revealed preference', that is, what they are willing to pay, is methodologically inadequate. They are characteristically time-inconsistent (to behavioural economists) or dynamically inconsistent (to game theorists)
The economic value to employees is likely much larger
I don't rate the economic empowerment of tobacco industry employees particularly highly. I doubt they're ethical consumers if they're such unethical producers.
edit: if you're interested see this:
cohort of over 8000 adult smokers....The proportion of smokers who agreed or agreed strongly with the statement “If you had to do it over again, you would not have started smoking” was extremely high—about 90%—and nearly identical across the four countries.
Addicted consumers cannot make free choices. This makes several economic assumptions collapse when they're used to try to analyze drug consumption.
If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.
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