How smoking behaviour can be curbed among low-income individuals

Researchers including an Indian-origin scientist have claimed that high-priced cigarettes and smoke-free homes can help effectively reduce smoking behaviours among low-income individuals.

Principal investigator John P. Pierce, PhD, professor and director of population sciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine, and colleagues found that expensive cigarettes - 4.50 dollar or more per pack - were linked with lower consumption across all levels.

When smokers agreed to a smoke-free home, not only were they more likely to reduce their smoking but, in addition, if they quit, they were less likely to relapse.

Pierce said that price is a deterrent to smoking but successful quitting (90 or more days) was linked in this study only with a smoke-free home."

Maya Vijayaraghavan, MD, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Family and Preventive medicine and the study's first author, said one potential avenue for intervention was to increase regulation of secondhand smoke in public housing.

The study has been published in the American Journal of Public Health.