Why Is It So Hard for Older Adults to Quit Smoking?

Middle-aged and older adults have some of the highest smoking rates, and doctors and researchers are looking for new ways to help them stop

By

Rachel Somerstein,

Published June 30, 2025

. . . It makes sense that this and other public health efforts have focused on young people, says Lucie Kalousova, an assistant professor of medicine, health and society, and sociology at Vanderbilt University. Doing so enables us to “realize the largest benefits at the population level” by “preventing young people from ever becoming smokers.”

. . .

While smokers in their 40s and older may believe that the damage to their health has already been done, giving them no reason to stop, a recent article in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine shows that quitting in one’s 40s or 50s will result in added years of life. But, says Kalousova, that’s not information that’s broadly known. “Which is perhaps our fault,” she says. “We should change the way we frame our messaging.” . . .

Read the full article: Percentage of Older Adults Who Smoke Remains High