Affiliations: LSE Health and Social Care, London School of
Economics, London, UK | Grup de Recerca EPS, Universitat de Barcelona,
Barcelona, Spain
Note: [] Dr. Joan Costa~i Font, LSE Health and Social Care, London School
of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK. Tel.:
+44 020 790 6840; Fax: +44 020 7955 6803; E-mail: Joan Costa i Font@lse.ac.uk
Abstract: Products obtained through techniques that genetically modify living
organisms are widely extended in the medical, pharmaceutical and food industry.
However, the usage of such techniques has led to widespread controversies in
some European countries where it clashes with small public acceptance. Lack of
knowledge also suggests that once people become aware of the possible effects
on health or the environment that these risks pose this might cause conflicts
in many countries. Moral concerns and lack of sufficient knowledge to
understand both risks and benefits are typically the issues that policy makers
fear. This paper empirically examines the acceptance of and perceptions of
risks for biotech procedures using data from two public opinion surveys,
developed in 1996 and 1999 respectively (Eurobarometer surveys 46.1 and 52.1).
Additionally, we look at risk perception determinants.
