A study shows that smoking can make young people earn less money, especially among those with a low level of education.
The study was published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research.
The adverse health effects of smoking are well known. Smoking increases the risk of various types of cancer, respiratory problems and cardiovascular disease, being responsible for about 14% of global deaths in 2019. Although smoking rates have decreased since the 1990s, in 2019, 18% of women and 27% of men in countries with high incomes still smoked.
Smoking has been associated with poorer labor market performance, probably due to the negative impact on productivity, especially in physically demanding jobs where physical fitness plays an important role. In addition, smoking stigma can lead to prejudice and discrimination against smokers.
How was the study conducted?
The researchers used data from the longitudinal study Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Studywho analyzed 3,596 participants born between 1962 and 1977, coming from urban and rural areas in five Finnish university regions. This data was correlated with information on labor market performance obtained from Statistics Finlandand with data on family background, provided by Longitudinal Population Census. Observations began in 2001, looking at people between the ages of 24 and 39.
Smoking was measured using pack-years, a standard method that quantifies cumulative tobacco exposure. This is calculated by multiplying the average number of cigarettes smoked per day by the difference between the current age and the age at which smoking started. For example, a person with a 10-pack-year history smoked one pack of cigarettes a day for 10 years.
Smoking predisposes people to earn less money
How does smoking make people earn less money? The study found that a one-unit increase in pack-years was associated with a 1.8% decrease in revenue. This suggests that reducing smoking by the equivalent of five pack-years could increase income by 9%. Also, a one-unit increase in pack-years was associated with a 0.5% decrease in years spent employed.
Income differences between smokers and nonsmokers were significant among young workers, especially those with low levels of education. These differences were not observed among older workers, suggesting that smoking may have a more severe impact on labor market prospects for younger generations, where smoking prevalence is lower.
Another interesting aspect is that the negative association between pack-years and employment was only observed in active smokers. People who had quit smoking did not show these trends, notes Medical Xpress.
“Smoking in early adulthood is strongly linked to long-term earnings and employability, with more severe consequences for the less educated. These findings underscore the need for policies that address the hidden economic costs of smoking and promote healthier behaviors,” said the study’s lead author, Jutta Viinikainen.
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Source: www.descopera.ro
