A study by researchers at the University of Kansas found that people with chronic pain are more likely than others to smoke tobacco and to use electronic cigarettes.
The scientists based their conclusions on an analysis of National Health Interview Survey data from 2014–2023. The researchers say the results should help shape new treatments for chronic pain and strategies for quitting smoking.
How smoking and chronic pain feed each other
“People get caught in a cycle where pain pushes them to smoke, but smoking makes the pain worse, which makes quitting much harder,” said lead author Jessica Powers, an associate professor of psychology and a licensed clinical psychologist.
She says only provides short-term pain relief. It helps in the moment, but over the long term it has harmful effects. In fact, tobacco can increase pain and raise the likelihood of developing chronic pain syndrome, the researcher warned.
What the researchers found
Powers and her colleagues analyzed responses from more than 195,600 Americans collected over a 10-year period. The analysis, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, showed that chronic pain is often linked to smoking and vaping.
The study also found:
- Although overall smoking rates in the U.S. have fallen, that decline has been slower among people with .
- People with chronic pain are roughly twice as likely to smoke cigarettes, use e-cigarettes, or do both.
- More frequent or more disabling pain is linked to a greater likelihood of smoking tobacco.
“Smoking increases pain and raises the risk of developing high-intensity chronic pain. Meanwhile, people with more severe pain smoke more often to cope. When pain keeps someone from seeing their grandchildren or from handling important tasks, their mood worsens. That pushes them to smoke more as a way to get through,” said Jessica Powers.
Another key takeaway, Powers says, is that people who suffer from chronic pain often get overlooked by the public, Medical Xpress reports.
“We have excellent pain treatments and effective smoking-cessation methods, but we need to combine them,” the researcher concluded.
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