Time Preference and Time Use: Do Smokers Exercise Less?

Abstract

Using matched data from the Tobacco Use Supplements to the Current Population Surveys and the American Time Use Surveys, this paper examines how differences in time preference, as measured by smoking status, affect time spent on various nonmarket activities in a day. Even after controlling for a host of variables, the results show that individuals with a higher rate of time preference- current smokers - spend more time on nonmarket activities that provide immediate gratification, such as watching television, but less time on nonmarket activities that provide long-term returns, such as exercising and education, compared to those who never smoked.

Keywords: time preference, time use, smoking

JEL Classification: J22, J24, I12