A Focus Group Study of Smokers Aged 35-50 who have not Quit Smoking

A Focus Group Study of Smokers Aged 35-50 who have not Quit Smoking

Everyone knows smoking is very bad for you. Lots of people in North America and other Western countries quit starting in the mid-1960s when this became accepted. However smoking prevalence has not changed much in several decades, despite huge anti-smoking efforts, education, advocacy, restrictions, and taxes. Remarkably this suggests that anti-smoking efforts could benefit from a better understanding of what dedicated smokers think about smoking. Unlike most every other area of public health, the target audience (smokers) has been left out of discussions about smoking policy. While there is extensive literature about what people like about smoking, public health advocates and science largely ignore the existence of any motivation for smoking other than “addiction”. Objective: The objective of this study is to have a better understanding of why smokers continue to smoke and what smoking means to this population. These are people between ages 35-50 who are dedicated smokers and are not committed to quitting in the immediate term. I chose to use a focus group format as it allows me to gather detailed descriptions of experiences and beliefs of participants. As a result of the lack of available literature on the topic, I needed to use a method that will allow me to freely explore this area and also lay the groundwork for future research by providing possible areas of focus. I plan to present the result of the study at the conference.