Smoking and the Older Person

Since the first Surgeon General report on smoking was issued in 1964, the smoking rate in the United States has been progressively declining.1 Yet today, cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and it is associated with significant health and economic burdens to society.2 A vast array of resources have been assigned to address smoking cessation or abstinence programs, almost exclusively aimed at the adult and adolescent populations. Little to no attention has been paid to older smokers. Obstacles to smoking intervention in the elderly include t...