Stratification and smoking: a search for class-based smoking lifestyles

This study looked for evidence of distinctive smoking lifestyles among social classes. Data on smoking attitudes and behaviors were collected via interviews of a representative sample of residents of a major western Canadian city. Four indicators of social class position (based on two approaches to conceptualizing social class) were employed. Regardless of the indicator of class used, few attitudinal or behavioral differences between social classes were found. The results suggest that the multi-faceted approach to smoking prevention in Canada has fostered a general climate of opinion which is antagonistic to smoking. Sociological factors which can lead to misperceptions of the extent of social class differences in smoking are discussed.