摘要：Much of the justification for environmental rulemaking rests on estimates of the benefits tosociety of reduced mortality rates. This research aims to fill gaps in the literature that estimates the valueof a statistical life (VSL) by designing and implementing a contingent valuation study for persons 40 to75 years of age, and eliciting WTP for reductions in current and future risks of death. Targeting this agerange also allows us to examine the impact of age on WTP and, by asking respondents to complete adetailed health questionnaire, to examine the impact of health status on WTP.This survey was self-administered by computer to 930 persons in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1999. Thesurvey uses audio and visual aids to communicate baseline risks of death and risk changes and are testedfor comprehension of probabilities before being asked WTP questions. We credit these efforts at riskcommunication with the fact that mean WTP of respondents faced with larger risk reductions exceedsmean WTP of respondents faced with smaller risk reductions; that is, our respondents pass the externalscope test.Our mean WTP estimates for a contemporaneous risk reduction imply a VSL rangingapproximately from $1.2 to $3.8 million (1999 C$), depending on the size of the risk change valued,which is at or below estimates commonly used in environmental cost-benefit analyses by the Canadianand the U.S. governments. Interestingly, we find that age has no effect on WTP until roughly age 70 andabove (the VSL is about $0.6 million for this age group) and that physical health status, with the possibleexception of having cancer, has no effect. We also find that being mentally healthy raises WTPsubstantially. In addition, compared with estimates of WTP for contemporaneous risk reductions, meanWTP estimates for risk reductions of the same magnitude but beginning at age 70 are more than 50%smaller.
关键词：mortality risk valuation; Canada; contingent valuation; age; health status
