Jump to full article: Suburban Chicago News, 2009-11-04
Author: DENISE M. BARAN-UNLAND For Sun-Times Media
Intro: On Nov. 19, many people will throw away their cigarettes in honor of the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout. Jason Halford, 29, of Joliet probably will not be one of them.
In the nine years since he started smoking, Halford has quit twice, but he blames job and money-related stresses for lighting back up. Even the rising cost of cigarettes isn't enough to discourage him.
"I buy cheap brands and look for dollar-off specials," Halford said.
While some people might think the high cost of keeping the habit would discourage its use, recent research suggests the opposite may be true.
Dr. Bruce Christiansen of the University of Wisconsin's Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (CTRI) discovered that half the adults in Milwaukee's poorest neighborhoods smoke, despite paying $9 for a pack of cigarettes on a household income below $15,000.
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