When I looked for a new car last year, every salesman I saw smoked cigarettes. According to one survey, almost half of all waitresses smoke, compared with fewer than one in 10 doctors. Epidemiological data from the CDC and other sources support these impressions. While about 16 percent of college graduates continue to smoke, the smoking rate for those without a high school diploma is 36 percent. If you're poor, smoking may seem the most ready alternative.
Many smokers accept the risks of their behavior in exchange for the benefits they receive.
But for those who want to quit, some methods clearly work better than others. Overall, smokers attending treatment programs were twice as likely to fail as those who did it on their own. These programs included Smokenders, which relies on group exhortation combined with some behavior-modification techniques. Nicotine gum was the least effective method. Ironically, this is also the most heavily advertised method.