Vaping and smoking articles pour vapoteurs mcmasterville, like other addictions, is a difficult habit to quit, even from someone with control over themselves or access to the best medical care. What’s alarming is that the 2.3 to 3.5 million smokers in the US are homeless. They little to no access to health care simply because they cannot afford to do so. It rapidly increases the rate of people suffering from health-related consequences from frequent smoking despite the visible decline in the number of smokers in the past few years.

A common misconception about homeless smokers is that they ‘refuse’ to quit because they willingly want to destroy their lives when in reality, their nicotine addiction is caused by psychological problems like depression, hopelessness, and low self-esteem. Contradictorily, 70% of homeless smokers want to quit, but lack medical assistance, funds, and motivation.

Effects of Smoking to the Homeless

Smoking is generally bad, and the health repercussions that come with it do not choose its victim. However, homeless people are more prone to these complications because they cannot afford preventive measures like health examinations to see whether their symptoms are caused by worse diagnoses such as lung diseases and the like.

Some mild effects they may experience are as follows:

• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
• Bad breath
• Decreased blood flow
• Increased heart rate and blood pressure
• Coughing
• Chronic headaches

Severe effects of smoking on the other hand are as follows:

• Loss of consciousness and fainting
• Heart attack
• Seizures
• Coma
• Prolonged smoking can cause lung and trachea cancer

In addition, homeless people are in no doubt living in worse conditions compared to other people. Living in overcrowded shelters, not having enough nutrition, and a deterred mental state are all factors that increase their risks of catching illnesses. Not to mention some of these smokers share cigarettes or reuse cigarettes found in the streets.

These all explain why smoking is one of the main causes of death for homeless individuals. Because they have insufficient health interventions available and have a hard time seeking help, their conditions are left untreated and eventually get worse over time which could lead to death.

Fatal diseases caused by smoking include the following:

• Severe asthma
• Obstructive pulmonary disease
• Cancer
• Acute myeloid leukemia

Is Quitting a Bigger Struggle for the Homeless?

Quitting is a struggle for all people as it requires determination, motivation, support, and sufficient health care and rehabilitation. Albeit still possible, this makes it harder for the homeless to quit because they are low on these aspects.

It makes it more important to have sufficient support for homeless smokers. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, statistics show that 80% of homeless Americans are smokers. Because this issue has been overlooked for a long time, the number has gone to alarming heights. It eventually called for immediate intervention from the medical field and the public.

Thankfully, ever since the issue has been brought to light, the increased awareness has pushed health officials to make the necessary move to counter the problem among homeless smokers. As of the moment, there are now rehabilitation centers that are available specifically for the least privileged who still wish to make their lives better for themselves.