Here is good news: The proportion of American adults who smoke cigarettes has reached a new low, according to a national health survey.
And many of those who do smoke aren't smoking as many cigarettes.
The study, conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that 17.8 percent of U.S. adults — 42.1 million people — were "current cigarette smokers" in 2013. That's the lowest percentage since the annual survey began in 1965.
The proportion of current smokers who smoke every day fell from 80.8 percent in 2005 to 76.9 percent in 2013. And even those daily smokers are lighting fewer cigarettes, from 16.7 per day in 2007 to 14.2 a day in 2013 (though quitting, not cutting back, has far and away greater health benefits).
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., killing 480,000 Americans each year. And for every American who dies, more than 30 live with smoking-related diseases. This costs the economy $289 billion in annual health costs and lost productivity.
So in addition to saving lives, smoking cessation saves money. It also offers an example of how public policy might help with the broader problem of drug abuse.
The battle against smoking has been the most successful — some would say the only successful — anti-drug effort in the last 50 years. It was not accomplished by throwing users in jail and ruining their lives. It was accomplished with education, taxation, smoke-free places, quit-smoking programs and similar measures. There's a lesson there.
Of course, if 42 million people are still smoking, there's work to be done. For example, the rate of decline in cigar smoking among teenagers has slowed. Also, according to the report, smoking among some groups remains high, one of which is people living below the poverty line.
The many toxins in cigarette smoke don't discriminate based on socioeconomic class; they make everyone sick. Let's get the word out to everyone.
Copyright © 2014, Hartford Courant
The study, conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that 17.8 percent of U.S. adults — 42.1 million people — were "current cigarette smokers" in 2013. That's the lowest percentage since the annual survey began in 1965.
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., killing 480,000 Americans each year. And for every American who dies, more than 30 live with smoking-related diseases. This costs the economy $289 billion in annual health costs and lost productivity.
The battle against smoking has been the most successful — some would say the only successful — anti-drug effort in the last 50 years. It was not accomplished by throwing users in jail and ruining their lives. It was accomplished with education, taxation, smoke-free places, quit-smoking programs and similar measures. There's a lesson there.
Of course, if 42 million people are still smoking, there's work to be done. For example, the rate of decline in cigar smoking among teenagers has slowed. Also, according to the report, smoking among some groups remains high, one of which is people living below the poverty line.
The many toxins in cigarette smoke don't discriminate based on socioeconomic class; they make everyone sick. Let's get the word out to everyone.
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