Smoking Among People With Disabilities, and Free Help to Quit

In the United States, about 1 in 4 adults — an estimated 61.4 million people — has a functional disability: serious difficulty with hearing, vision, thinking, mobility, self-care or living independently.

More likely to smoke

Adults with disabilities are more likely to smoke cigarettes than adults without them: about 1 in 5 (18.5%), against 10.9%.

Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease and death, and anyone who smokes faces a higher risk of smoking-related illness and early death.

Why quitting pays off

Quitting improves quality of life, lowers the risk of many smoking-related diseases, and can add as much as 10 years to life expectancy. Treatments help people quit, including counseling and quit-smoking medicines.

CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers campaign shares the real stories of people harmed by smoking, including people living with disabilities who have quit.

Free help to quit

• Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669). Help is also available in Spanish (1-855-DÉJELO-YA), Chinese (1-800-838-8917), Korean (1-800-556-5564) and Vietnamese (1-800-778-8440).
• Text QUITNOW to 333888 (message and data rates may apply), or use CDC’s quitSTART app for tips, information and challenges.
• Visit Smokefree.gov or the Asian Smokers’ Quitline.

Sources

Based on "People With Disabilities," Tips From Former Smokers, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain.