Smoking and aging: Re-imagining smoking cessation for older adults
Time: 1:55 pm - 2:15 pm
Date: May 8 2026
Part I. Left Behind: How We Overlooked Older Adults Who Smoke
The overall decreasing trend in cigarette use is not seen among older adults and the smoking prevalence in this age group has increased in recent years. As the older population is expected to double by 2050, older adult smokers present an important group to reduce tobacco-related burden. Yet older adults have been largely ignored by targeted cessation campaigns. This presentation examines the current landscape of tobacco control among older adults and explores why they have not seen the same progress as younger individuals. Epidemiological trends and the results of smoking cessation trials will also be used to show how certain subgroups within this age range face additional barriers to quitting. A new paradigm in this discussion involves the role of alternative nicotine delivery systems (ANDS). While most of the conversation around ANDS has been on preventing initiation among youth, the potential benefits of ANDS as a harm reduction tool for older adults who have not successfully quit through traditional methods should not be overlooked.
(Dr Jaqueline Avila)
Part II. The electronic cigarette: a feasible harm reduction and smoking cessation tool for older adults?
Electronic cigarettes (EC) are a potential harm reduction and smoking cessation tool for older adults who smoke and do not succeed with conventional treatment. However, only 1% of adults aged 65 and older use EC in the US (NHIS, 2024), and there is little evidence of their interest in switching to EC. Our team addressed these questions among adult smokers who recently underwent a lung cancer screening (LCS) test, which is recommended annually for smokers aged 50-80 years with a 20 pack-year smoking history. In a pilot trial, we examined perceptions about EC use, interest in trying ECs, and the effects of switching from cigarettes to ECs among patients who did not quit smoking with the conventional treatment provided at LCS.
(Dr Nancy A. Rigotti, MD)
Speakers
Dr Jaqueline Avila Assistant Professor in the Department of Gerontology - University of Massachusetts Boston
Dr. Nancy A. Rigotti, MD Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School - Director, Tobacco Research & Treatment Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
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