Tobacco use is an alarming problem among the homeless. According to the Public Health Law Center, estimates of the homeless in the U.S. range from approximately 2.3 to 2.5 million people in any given year. At least 70 percent of homeless individuals smoke, which is four times that of the general population.
The disadvantages faced by this group of people are hard to diagnose and remedy due to many obstacles: not having an address or phone number, lack of transportation, and the list goes on. For these reasons, many of them go without healthcare, support and treatment.
“It’s so hard to reach this group and give them the cessation service and education that they need because they are so hard to track and keep up with,” said Lynn McCafferty, Director of the Mississippi Tobacco-Free Coalition of Attala, Leake and Winston Counties “In the meantime, they’re going without proper care and are continuing to use tobacco at a disturbing rate.”
The Public Health Law Center also reported that approximately 20 to 30 percent of homeless adults have a serious mental illness along with a 68 to 80 percent prevalence of cigarette smoking. Due to lack of resources, this highly populated group uses tobacco in unconventional ways that raise the likelihood of ingesting infectious agents and toxins. An example of this would be sniping. Sniping is when someone unravels several discarded cigarettes, removes the remaining tobacco and uses it to reroll a new, fuller cigarette.
“Such habits put them at a higher risk of getting gum disease, such as gingivitis and periodontitis,” said Amy Winter, Director of the Office of Tobacco Control at the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH). “If these conditions go untreated, it can lead to pain, tooth loss and other health problems. Over age 65, only 20 percent of nonsmokers are toothless, but more than 41 percent of daily smokers are toothless. Tooth loss is a serious condition that can increase the risk of heart disease and other detrimental health issues.”
For help with quitting, and information on the health dangers of tobacco products, visit
www.quitlinems.com, or call the Mississippi Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
