Smoking And The Poor: A Health And Economic Crisis In The Making

"It’s worth emphasizing that more deliberate efforts to bolster quitting can pay off. A study of a Massachusetts program to promote smoking cessation in Medicaid showed that it helped reduce the rate of smoking and saved $3 in hospital costs for every dollar invested. The savings were due in large part to the prevention of heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases."

Note: the states with the largest number of the smoking poor are in the "Red" state/Republican south, many of which have refused to expand Medicaid.

Help Poor People Quit Smoking Today – Or Spend Billions Tomorrow