Smoking as a coping strategy

The relationship between tobacco smoking and stress has been debated for some time. Adult smokers say cigarettes help them to relax, but also report feeling more stressed than non-smokers (Parrott, 2000). This positive connection between smoking tobacco and relieving stress leads to a regular pattern of smoking. However, when smokers stop, they gradually become less stressed over time (Parrott, 2000). In the drive to reduce the number of smokers, it is important to consider and understand why smoking appears to relieve stress, as tobacco dependency is associated with heightened stress.