Poorer Folks May Find It Harder to Quit Smoking

When I walk in and out of some of my clinics, it is usually through a cloud of cigarette smoke.  While many of our clients know smoking is bad for them and increases their risk of a whole host of other diseases, many see it as the lesser of evils that exist in their environment. 

I recently came across an article in the American Journal of Public Health which showed that quitting smoking is more difficult for poor people than for those with greater financial means and social status.  Those who were in the those in the highest SES were 55% more likely to have quit smoking after three months and 2/5 times more likely to have quit after six months.  Those of lower SES had fewer resources, such as treatment, and support systems to help them quit.  The study went on to say that a person's environment also has a profound impact on whether or not they are able to quit.  This is definitely true for many of our clients; many use smoking to help them cope with daily stressers while others use it to help them stay clean/sober.