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The southeastern U.S. is a region with a long history of smoking (and tobacco growing). Old habits are hard to break; this region has a higher proportion of smokers in the population than most other regions. Poverty is also a factor, not only here, but in the area north of it (see the map), particularly eastern Kentucky. This region is one of the poorest regions in the United States. There is a well-documented relation between a person's socio-economic status, and cigarette smoking. Very simply, poor people smoke more. Or putting it another way, a much higher percentage of poor people smoke, than people who are not poor. There are probably reasons for this, which we won't explore here. But the result is, you are more likely to die of emphysema or bronchitis if you are poor, because you are probably a heavy smoker. Scary, isn't it!? |