The social gradient in smoking: individual behaviour, norms and nicotine dependence in the later stages of the cigarette epidemic

摘要: The cigarette epidemic tends to develop in a similar pattern across diverse populations different parts of the world. First, prevalence smoking increases, then it plateaus and finally declines. decline be more pronounced higher social strata. later stages are characterized by emerging persisting socioeconomic gradients smoking. Due its detrimental health consequences, has been subject extensive research broad range academic disciplines. I draw on literature from both medical sciences order model which physiological nicotine dependence, individual behaviour norms surrounding immediate environment related through reflexive processes. argue that emergence persistence at can attributed combination pharmacological properties nicotine, network homophily unequal distribution material non-material resources