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Story checked

How smoking makes people poorer—and what can be done about it (opens in a new tab)

medicalxpress.com · 2026-09-28

Short answerEvidenceSource

Short answer

Mostly not supported

Mostly not supported.

2 key claims are not backed by the study. 3 other points were not covered by the paper.

  • 2 supported
  • 1 overstated
  • 2 not supported
  • 3 not covered

Checked against the study summary. The full text wasn't available, so some details couldn't be settled either way.

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1
2

NewsLink checks it

Mostly not supported

Three claims go beyond the study. One overstates it and two aren't supported at all. Three claims the study doesn't address.

  • 2 supported
  • 1 overstated
  • 2 not supported
  • 3 not covered
Open claim evidence
3
Source paper

Source layer

The 2 papers the story cites

Source study separated from background citations.

The research anchor for the report.

  • The study this story reportspresented as the new finding

    Smoking-induced deprivation and subsequent smoking cessation among adults who smoke in four high-income countries: Trends, correlates and longitudinal associations, 2016-2024.

    Addiction (Abingdon, England) · 2026

    PubMed (opens in a new tab)Full Tessa analysis (opens in a new tab)
  • Cited as backgroundpresented as earlier work

    Smoking and sickness absence: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health · 2020

    Publisher (opens in a new tab)
Then inspect each claim

Evidence layer

Claim by claim

Each claim gets a verdict. Expand it to see the evidence directly below.

8 claims in this story

Showing all 8 claimsChoose a verdict to focus the list.

Claim 1 of 8Not supportedAlthough fewer Australians smoked overall, the share of the total Australian population experiencing smoking-induced deprivation fell from 1.9% in 2016 to 1.5% in 2025.View evidenceHide evidence

As stated1.9% to 1.5%

Why this verdict

The supplied paper profile covers adults who smoke in survey waves through 2024. It does not provide total-population Australian SID estimates or any 2025 outcome. The stated fall from 1.9% in 2016 to 1.5% in 2025 is outside the abstract profile’s reported evidence.

1

Study evidence

Overall weighted prevalence of smoking-induced deprivation (SID) among adults who smoke rose from 9.5% in 2016 to 14.6% in 2022 and was 13.6% in 2024.9.5% → 14.6% (2016→2022); 13.6% (2024)

“Multi-country longitudinal study using five waves (2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024) of the International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey.”
Claim 2 of 8Not supportedThe article argues that lowering tobacco taxes would increase health and financial harms overall, because cheaper cigarettes would reduce quitting, increase consumption, and increase youth uptake.View evidenceHide evidence

Why this verdict

The supplied paper profile does not evaluate lowering tobacco taxes or model effects of cheaper cigarettes on quitting, consumption, youth uptake, health harms, or financial harms. This is a causal policy claim beyond the abstract-level findings, which are observational and primarily about SID trends and associations.

1

Study evidence

Overall weighted prevalence of smoking-induced deprivation (SID) among adults who smoke rose from 9.5% in 2016 to 14.6% in 2022 and was 13.6% in 2024.9.5% → 14.6% (2016→2022); 13.6% (2024)

“Multi-country longitudinal study using five waves (2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024) of the International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey.”
Claim 3 of 8OverstatedThe article says higher cigarette prices, including tobacco taxes, are part of the story behind the rise in smoking-induced deprivation.View evidenceHide evidence

As statedAustralia cigarette prices were 1.81 times 2016 levels in 2024

Why this verdict

The paper profile describes observational survey trends in SID and explicitly notes that the observational design limits causal interpretation of drivers of trend changes. The abstract profile does not report an analysis of cigarette prices or tobacco taxes as predictors of SID. Framing higher prices/taxes as part of the causal story behind the rise therefore outruns the abstract-level evidence.

1

Study evidence

Overall weighted prevalence of smoking-induced deprivation (SID) among adults who smoke rose from 9.5% in 2016 to 14.6% in 2022 and was 13.6% in 2024.9.5% → 14.6% (2016→2022); 13.6% (2024)

“Multi-country longitudinal study using five waves (2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024) of the International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey.”
Claim 4 of 8Not coveredThe study found that the proportion of smokers reporting smoking-induced deprivation increased in all four countries since 2016, and in 2024 it was highest in Australia at 18.3%.View evidenceHide evidence

As stated18.3% in Australia in 2024; 14.3% in England; 13% in Canada; 10.4% in the United States

Why this verdict

The abstract-level profile supports the broad trend that SID prevalence among adults who smoke rose overall from 2016 to 2024 and that trends varied by country. However, the specific 2024 country figures stated in the story, including Australia at 18.3% and the ranking as highest in Australia, are not available in the supplied abstract profile. The abstract also emphasizes a 2022 peak and partial declines by 2024 in some countries, which the story claim does not capture.

1

Study evidence

Overall weighted prevalence of smoking-induced deprivation (SID) among adults who smoke rose from 9.5% in 2016 to 14.6% in 2022 and was 13.6% in 2024.9.5% → 14.6% (2016→2022); 13.6% (2024)

“Multi-country longitudinal study using five waves (2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024) of the International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey.”
Claim 5 of 8Not coveredPeople experiencing smoking-induced deprivation were more likely to try quitting, but less likely to succeed; 9.4% quit by the next survey wave versus 12.6% of those without that hardship.View evidenceHide evidence

As stated9.4% versus 12.6%

Why this verdict

The abstract profile supports the directional associations: SID was associated with higher odds of a subsequent quit attempt and lower odds of quit success among quit attempters. However, the exact percentages stated in the story, 9.4% versus 12.6%, are not present in the supplied abstract profile. The profile instead reports adjusted odds ratios, including a borderline association for quit attempts and a lower quit-success odds ratio.

1

Study evidence

Baseline smoking-induced deprivation (SID) was associated with a higher adjusted odds of making any quit attempt by the next survey wave among respondents retained between consecutive waves.aOR = 1.18 (95% CI 1.00–1.39)

“Longitudinal analyses included 8484 respondents retained from baseline (T) to the subsequent wave (T + 1), including 3848 who attempted to quit.”
2

Study evidence

Among respondents who attempted to quit between waves (n = 3,848), self-reported smoking-induced deprivation was associated with substantially lower odds of being not smoking at the next wave (T+1).aOR = 0.48 (95% CI 0.33–0.72)

“Quit success was not smoking at T + 1 among quit attempters.”
Claim 6 of 8Not coveredThe authors propose using tobacco tax revenue for smoking cessation medicines, behavioral support, illegal tobacco control, and targeted programs for groups most harmed by smoking.View evidenceHide evidence

As statedestimated $3.56 billion in tobacco tax revenue in 2026–27

Why this verdict

The abstract profile includes findings relevant to cessation, illicit tobacco use and groups associated with SID, but it does not report the detailed policy proposal or the 2026–27 tobacco-tax revenue estimate stated in the story. These recommendations may come from discussion or commentary, but they are not verifiable from the supplied abstract-depth profile.

1

Study evidence

Young adults (age 18–24) had substantially higher adjusted odds of reporting SID compared with adults aged 55+.aOR = 3.61 (95% CI 3.04–4.28)

“Predictors included survey wave, sociodemographic factors, smoking dependence, illicit tobacco purchasing, vaping status, quit intention and quit self-efficacy.”
2

Study evidence

Baseline smoking-induced deprivation (SID) was associated with a higher adjusted odds of making any quit attempt by the next survey wave among respondents retained between consecutive waves.aOR = 1.18 (95% CI 1.00–1.39)

“Longitudinal analyses included 8484 respondents retained from baseline (T) to the subsequent wave (T + 1), including 3848 who attempted to quit.”
Claim 7 of 8SupportedSmoking can crowd out essentials like food, rent, or electricity bills, a harm researchers call smoking-induced deprivation.View evidenceHide evidence

Why this verdict

The paper profile defines smoking-induced deprivation as self-reported lack of enough money for household essentials in the past six months due to spending on cigarettes. The story’s framing that cigarette spending can leave people short for essentials is consistent with that definition.

1

Study evidence

Overall weighted prevalence of smoking-induced deprivation (SID) among adults who smoke rose from 9.5% in 2016 to 14.6% in 2022 and was 13.6% in 2024.9.5% → 14.6% (2016→2022); 13.6% (2024)

“Multi-country longitudinal study using five waves (2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024) of the International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey.”
Claim 8 of 8SupportedIn a new study published in Addiction, the authors analyzed data from 26,888 people who smoked at least monthly in Australia, England, Canada and the United States between 2016 and 2024.View evidenceHide evidence

As stated26,888 people

Why this verdict

The profile reports ITC Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey data from Canada, the US, England and Australia over 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024, including adults who smoked at least monthly and answered the SID item, with N = 26,888 across waves.

1

Study evidence

Overall weighted prevalence of smoking-induced deprivation (SID) among adults who smoke rose from 9.5% in 2016 to 14.6% in 2022 and was 13.6% in 2024.9.5% → 14.6% (2016→2022); 13.6% (2024)

“Multi-country longitudinal study using five waves (2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024) of the International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey.”
Then look for missing context

Context layer

What the story left out

Important study details the story did not include.

  • Nuance that SID prevalence increased in all four countries between 2016 and 2022, while some countries, including England and Australia, declined from 2022 to 2024.

    The story’s summarized claim focuses on increases since 2016 and 2024 values, but the supplied profile identifies partial declines from 2022 to 2024 as an important trend nuance.

    From Multi-wave ITC 4CV web-panel survey analysis (repeated cross-sectional/pooled longitudinal)

  • Correlates of SID: higher odds were associated with younger age, low income, low education, higher smoking dependence, current vaping, illicit tobacco use, intention to quit soon and low quit self-efficacy.

    These adjusted correlates are a primary contribution of the paper profile, but the story presentation mainly focuses on trends, policy implications and cessation outcomes rather than listing these correlates.

    From secondary_data

  • Limitation: SID is a self-reported, single-item measure of deprivation attributed to cigarette spending.

    The story presentation does not mention that the SID outcome depends on a single self-report item, which affects interpretation of prevalence and associations.

    From Multi-wave ITC 4CV web-panel survey analysis (repeated cross-sectional/pooled longitudinal); secondary_data

  • Limitation: estimates are based on web-panel survey data weighted to national smoking populations, with possible selection limitations.

    The story notes comparability of smoking-rate estimates in a caveat, but it does not mention web-panel selection limitations or the role of weighting.

    From Multi-wave ITC 4CV web-panel survey analysis (repeated cross-sectional/pooled longitudinal)

  • Limitation: observational survey design limits causal interpretation, especially for claims about drivers of SID trends such as cigarette prices or tobacco taxes.

    The story includes causal policy interpretations about prices and taxes, but the presentation’s caveats do not acknowledge the paper profile’s limitation that observational data cannot establish causal drivers.

    From Multi-wave ITC 4CV web-panel survey analysis (repeated cross-sectional/pooled longitudinal); secondary_data

  • Limitation of longitudinal cessation analyses: they are restricted to respondents retained between waves, and the quit-success analysis is further restricted to quit attempters, creating potential attrition or selection concerns.

    The story reports the cessation associations but does not mention retention, attrition or the restricted quit-attempter denominator.

    From secondary data; Restricted cohort longitudinal regression among quit attempters

5 things the story did carry across
  • Core definition of smoking-induced deprivation: not having enough money for household essentials in the past six months because of spending on cigarettes.
  • Study design and population: ITC Four Country web-panel survey of adults who smoked at least monthly in Canada, the US, England and Australia, using five waves from 2016 to 2024 and N = 26,888 for SID analyses.
  • Main trend finding: weighted SID prevalence among adults who smoke rose overall from 9.5% in 2016 to 14.6% in 2022, then declined to 13.6% in 2024; country trends differed significantly.
  • Longitudinal association between SID and subsequent quit attempts: SID was associated with modestly higher adjusted odds of making a quit attempt by the next wave, with a confidence interval lower bound of 1.00.
  • Longitudinal association between SID and quit success: among quit attempters, SID was associated with lower odds of being not smoking at the next wave.
Then read the study layer

Study layer

Study at a glance

Scan the study first. Expand only the parts you want to inspect.

Pieces of work

4

Evidence read

study summary

Lead result

secondary data

1Lead resultsecondary dataDescribe multi-country trends (2016–2024) in smoking-induced deprivation (SID) among adults who smoke in Canada, the US, England, and Australia.Multi-wave ITC 4CV web-panel survey analysis (repeated cross-sectional/pooled longitudinal)Expand

In plain English

Using five waves (2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024) of the ITC Four Country web-panel survey weighted to national smoking populations, weighted prevalence of smoking-induced deprivation (SID) among adults who smoke increased overall from 9.5% in 2016 to 14.6% in 2022 and declined slightly to 13.6% in 2024; trends differed by country (year×country interaction P < 0.001), with Australia showing the largest increase (12.0% → 22.7%).

Key findings

  • Overall weighted prevalence of smoking-induced deprivation (SID) among adults who smoke rose from 9.5% in 2016 to 14.6% in 2022 and was 13.6% in 2024.9.5% → 14.6% (2016→2022); 13.6% (2024)
  • Trends differed significantly by country (year×country interaction P < 0.001); Australia showed the largest increase (12.0% in 2016 to 22.7% in 2022) and although some countries declined from 2022 to 2024, 2024 levels remained higher than 2016 overall.Australia: 12.0% → 22.7% (2016→2022); interaction P < 0.001
“Multi-country longitudinal study using five waves (2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024) of the International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey.”
What this piece can’t prove
  • SID is a self-reported, single-item measure of financial deprivation attributed to cigarette spending.
  • Estimates are based on web-panel surveys; while weighted to national smoking populations, web-panel designs may have selection limitations.
  • Observational survey design limits causal interpretation of drivers of trend changes (analysis characterizes prevalence trends and heterogeneity by country).
2secondary dataIdentify correlates/predictors associated with SID across waves and countries (sociodemographics, dependence, illicit tobacco purchasing, vaping, quit intention, self-efficacy).secondary dataExpand

In plain English

Pooled multivariable analysis of ITC Four Country Survey waves (2016–2024) identified individual-level correlates of smoking-induced deprivation (SID) among adults who smoke in Canada, the US, England and Australia; results are reported as adjusted odds ratios (aORs).

Key findings

  • Young adults (age 18–24) had substantially higher adjusted odds of reporting SID compared with adults aged 55+.aOR = 3.61 (95% CI 3.04–4.28)
  • Low income was strongly associated with higher odds of SID compared with high income.aOR = 2.70 (95% CI 2.36–3.10)
“Predictors included survey wave, sociodemographic factors, smoking dependence, illicit tobacco purchasing, vaping status, quit intention and quit self-efficacy.”
What this piece can’t prove
  • Outcome and predictors are self-reported in web-panel surveys; subject to reporting bias and measurement error.
  • Observational, pooled cross-wave multivariable associations do not establish causality or temporal ordering for most predictors.

1 further detail could not be confirmed from the summary.

3secondary dataEstimate longitudinal associations between SID and subsequent quit behavior: (a) making a quit attempt and (b) quit success at the next wave among quit attempters.Expand

In plain English

Longitudinal analysis of retained panel respondents (T to T+1) from the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey assessing whether baseline self-reported smoking-induced deprivation (SID) predicts making any quit attempt by the next survey wave. In adjusted regression models among 8,484 retained respondents, SID was associated with higher odds of making a quit attempt by the subsequent wave (aOR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.00–1.39).

Key findings

  • Baseline smoking-induced deprivation (SID) was associated with a higher adjusted odds of making any quit attempt by the next survey wave among respondents retained between consecutive waves.aOR = 1.18 (95% CI 1.00–1.39)
“Longitudinal analyses included 8484 respondents retained from baseline (T) to the subsequent wave (T + 1), including 3848 who attempted to quit.”
What this piece can’t prove
  • Abstract does not report the specific covariates included in the adjusted longitudinal model.
  • Exposure (SID) and outcome (quit attempts) are self-reported according to the abstract.
  • Abstract does not provide detailed model specifications, weighting procedures for longitudinal analyses, or sensitivity analyses for this association.

1 further detail could not be confirmed from the summary.

4secondary dataEstimate longitudinal associations between SID and subsequent quit behavior: (a) making a quit attempt and (b) quit success at the next wave among quit attempters.Restricted cohort longitudinal regression among quit attemptersExpand

In plain English

In longitudinal analyses of adults who smoke retained between survey waves, smoking-induced deprivation (SID) was associated with substantially lower odds of quit success at the next wave among respondents who attempted to quit (adjusted odds ratio 0.48, 95% CI 0.33–0.72).

Key findings

  • Among respondents who attempted to quit between waves (n = 3,848), self-reported smoking-induced deprivation was associated with substantially lower odds of being not smoking at the next wave (T+1).aOR = 0.48 (95% CI 0.33–0.72)
“Quit success was not smoking at T + 1 among quit attempters.”
What this piece can’t prove
  • The analysis is restricted to individuals who made a quit attempt between waves, which conditions on a post-exposure variable and may introduce selection bias.
  • Smoking status at follow-up is based on survey response (self-report) rather than biochemical verification, as reported in the survey-based study.

1 further detail could not be confirmed from the summary.

Finally, the search trail

Method layer

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NewsLink checks the story. Tessa is where you inspect the paper, authors, evidence, and research context.

Papers considered

The selected paper, plus nearby candidates.

PubMed, Crossref, Europe PMC · 39 candidate papers

Candidate

Smoking and sickness absence: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health · 2020 · Crossref

Source (opens in a new tab)
Candidate

INTERNET ADDICTION AND SLEEP QUALITY AMONG STUDENTS: A STUDY OFPUBLIC AND PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS | Harf-o-sukhan

Scholarly Journal · 2026 · Crossref

Source (opens in a new tab)
Candidate

SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION, FEAR OF MISSING OUT AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Scholarly Journal · 2026 · Crossref

Source (opens in a new tab)

And 33 more candidates considered.