This study differs from most previous studies on smoking initiation by studying the age of
smoking onset, and not merely smoking initiation. We apply duration analysis to estimate the
determinants of the age of smoking initiation by using data from a questionnaire mailed to a
sample of smokers in Sweden. We examine the impact of individual characteristics and public
policies such as laws, regulations and cigarette prices, on the age of smoking initiation. Public
polices do not show a significant effect on the age of smoking initiation. However, since the
effects are difficult to measure, the insignificant parameters of public policies should be
interpreted with caution. The significance of time trend might reflect long term effects of public
policies. We also discuss the effects of public policies at some length in light of our results.
Moreover, we find that men start smoking at younger age than women, and that smokers with
smoking parents start at a younger age than smokers with non-smoking parents
