Measuring smoking prevalence over the course of the last decade, University of Southern California (USC) researchers found that disparities—particularly concerning smoking initiation and cessation—widened with each “additional disadvantage faced.” [...] “If you are experiencing a lot of stress—whether it’s because you’re unemployed, struggling with an alcohol problem, or coping with mental illness—there’s evidence you’re more liable to smoke to manage stress,” Adam Leventhal, one of the study’s authors [...]