By now, most of us know all about the health risks associated with smoking from lung cancer to coronary heart disease to stroke, but according to a recent study published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, there might be one other side effect that may come as a surprise.
The University of Colorado Cancer Center surveyed 11,626 people via telephone. It’s important to point out that the survey was a part of the Colorado Tobacco Attitudes and Behaviors Study. They found that 17 percent of those individuals surveyed were smokers and smokers were 60 percent less likely to vote compared to those who didn’t smoke. Interesting, right?
Karen Albright, PhD, Colorado School of Public Health’s assistant professor had the following to say regarding the study in a statement:
“One on hand, the result is intuitive. We know from previous research that smokers are an increasingly marginalized population, involved in fewer organizations and activities and with less interpersonal trust than nonsmokers. But what our research suggests is that this marginalization may also extend beyond the interpersonal level to attitudes toward political systems and institutions.”
Although not certain, it’s believed that smokers are less likely to vote than nonsmokers due to their feelings of mistrust and skepticism of politics in general. With all the smoking laws and tax increases in effect, many smokers feel targeted, isolated and oppressed by society. Of course, as Dr. Albright points out, there is still additional research required:
“We’re getting a clearer picture of the ‘what’ and soon I hope it will be time to talk to individual smokers in these populations to start exploring the ‘why.’”
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