
Quitting smoking may leave you with more money for food. Having a tobacco smoker quit is not just a boon to lung health. In poorer families, it can also help prevent hunger, according to new research from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. “We aimed to explore if tobacco cessation could improve food security,” said lead author Kaitlyn Berry, a PhD candidate. “Tobacco is expensive and addictive; in the U.S., on average, a pack of cigarettes currently costs about $8 — $240 per month for a pack-a-day smoker. “This means that when someone quits smoking, they can save a lot of money that could instead be used for other expenses,” Berry added in a school news release. Tobacco use and hunger are major threats to U.S. public health, according to the study. They inequitably affect low-income households and people of color. About 10% of all U.S. households don’t have enough food. Roughly one-third of households below the poverty line had hunger issues in 2021, the researchers reported. At the same time, people who are socially disadvantaged are more likely to smoke cigarettes, partly because of aggressive marketing by the tobacco industry to low-income groups. Uneven access to smoking-cessation programs is another contributor. The research team noted that 20% of adults with a household income under $35,000 smoke cigarettes. Yet only 6% of adults… read on > read on >