Stress cited as top barrier to quitting for young adult smokers

More than half of young adult cigarette smokers say that losing the ability to handle stress and withdrawal or cravings are barriers to quitting smoking, according to the new study “Reasons To Quit And Barriers To Quitting Smoking In U.S. Young Adults” published in the journal Family Practice.

Women, daily smokers, and people who tried to quit in the past year were more likely to cite stress as a barrier to quitting smoking, according to the study, which drew on data from the 2011 National Young Adult Health Survey and included young adults who either currently smoke cigarettes but said they tried to quit in the past year or who are former smokers.

The two most popular reasons for quitting smoking were physical fitness and the cost of tobacco.

noted Andrea Villanti, Director, Regulatory Science and Policy at the Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies and lead author on the study.