In America Smoking Very Closely Linked To Socioeconomic Status

Over the last several decades, smoking rates in the United States have been on a steady decline. But new research shows that of those who continue to smoke cigarettes, many are economically disadvantaged.

Researchers at Colorado School of Public Health at University of Colorado (CU) Anschutz used data from a 2012 national survey and published their findings in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. Of the only 15 percent of Americans who still smoke cigarettes, about 50 to 75 percent of them are considered financially disadvantaged – meaning the poorest people in the country also have the highest smoking rates.

“It’s unusual to find part of the population experiencing high rates of a health problem and also representing the majority of affected people,” study author Arnold Levinson, Associate Professor of community and behavioral health at the Colorado School of Public Health at CU Anschutz, said in a press release. “But with smoking, we have this unusual situation: Americans with lower socioeconomic status today are suffering from epidemic smoking rates, and they make up nearly three-fourths of all our remaining smokers.”

Cigarette manufacturers and distributors have long been criticized for targeting the young and underprivileged. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), close to half a million deaths each year in the United States are linked to cigarette smoking. Smokers are at increased risk of heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and lung cancer. This new research shows that the poorest Americans are at highest risk of acquiring these diseases via smoking.
Levinson says the best way to help America’s remaining smokers may be to pivot the approach to quitting.”In the last half-century, public health efforts helped cut the smoking rate by more than half, but we probably need to change our strategies for helping smokers quit,” Levinson said. “The methods that worked for the upper half of society don’t seem to be working well for the other half.”

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.