Who is still smoking cigarettes in America?

Smoking cigarettes is seriously declining because states and communities making it more difficult for smokers to light up in public.  Those who are still smoking are mostly low income, don’t have a college education, lack health insurance or have a disability.  Smokers make up the least advantaged segments of our society.  In fact, 75% of all the 36 million remaining smokers in the US are experiencing catastrophic health problems.  They want to quit, but aren’t as successful in their efforts as the upper half of society, likely because they have economic and personal stressors they can’t control.  Over the last 50 years, public health efforts helped to cut the smoking rate by more than half, but now, we need to offer direct help to those in the lower half of society to quit.  It’s in everyone’s best interest.

More Parenting Pointers at DrClaudia.net