When Sean Regnier started working with people with intellectual and development disabilities (IDD) ten years ago, he noticed a high rate of cigarette smoking among his clients.
“From a clinical standpoint, I was interested in figuring out how I could help my clients quit smoking,” he said.
Now a board certified and equipped with a master’s degree and Ph.D. in applied behavior analysis, he’s working to develop smoking treatment options that are tailored for people with IDD. Regnier describes the current lack of such options as a serious health equity problem that leaves this population susceptible to long-term smoking and tobacco-related illnesses, especially since people with disabilities experience increased poverty rates and often lack of access to adequate healthcare.
In Kentucky, the rate of smoking among people with disabilities is higher than the national average…
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