3 min read
The Cigarette and the Plumber: Nicotine in the Trades, Revisited
Skilled trades workers smoke at elevated rates. The job is physically demanding, male-dominated, and historically smoke-tolerant. The cigarette is a break, a connector, and a coping mechanism. The trades have a nicotine problem they're barely addressing.
Plumbers, electricians, carpenters—the skilled trades smoke at rates significantly above the general population. The job site was historically smoke-friendly, the work is physically demanding, and the culture of the trades has been slow to change. **The trades are a reservoir of nicotine use in an otherwise declining landscape. Addressing smoking in this population requires engaging with the culture of the trades—not just offering cessation support that was designed for office workers.**
