Abstract: 

Education is a powerful socio-demographic predictor of smoking prevalence and in line with these public health goals and recommendations, the current study proposes to investigate educational disparities in patterns of tobacco use and addiction and factors that might account for these disparities. We are conducting an examination of the link between educational attainment and subsequent tobacco use and addiction through age 33 in the Seattle Social Development Project, a longitudinal sample constituted in Washington State. In addition, the project examines factors such as job characteristics, stress, bonding, knowledge of the health consequences of smoking, and perceived social unacceptability and stigmatization of smoking that might account for educational disparities in patterns of tobacco use and addiction.