The NY Times Journal of Medicine described a recent study documenting the smoking habits and the poor. It reported that "Low-income smokers in New York spend 25 percent of their income on cigarettes according to a new study, which led advocates for smokers’ rights to say it proved high taxes were regressive and ineffective."
This is an important article to read. A couple of our Cell 2 Soul members are international experts on smoking and health and we will ask them for their comments. The implications of spending 25% or more of a family's income on cigarettes are mind-boggling.
Lest one think this is a problem for the U.S. alone, there have been ample studies of smoking habits in poor countries as well. See: "Tobacco: Uphill Battle for Antismoking Campaigns in Poor and
Middle-Income Countries" by Donald G. McNeil.