3 min read
The Cigarette and the Taxi Driver: Occupational Nicotine Use in the Gig Economy
Taxi and rideshare drivers smoke at elevated rates. The job—sedentary, stressful, solitary, with long hours and irregular breaks—is a perfect storm for nicotine dependence. The gig economy has a smoking problem, and it's almost entirely unaddressed.
The taxi driver smokes because the job is stressful, sedentary, and solitary. The rideshare driver vapes because there's no boss to tell them not to, and the nicotine helps manage the anxiety of ratings and unpredictable income. **The gig economy has a nicotine problem—driven by the specific conditions of gig work (stress, isolation, lack of workplace restrictions) and almost entirely unaddressed by the occupational health system that doesn't cover gig workers.**
