Less smokers than ever - A new survey reveals that the percentage of American adults who smoke cigarettes has reduced drastically.
According to the national survey, which was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are less smokers than ever in the country. The percentage of Americans who smoke cigarette is expected to drop from 20.9 in 2005, to 17.8 in 2017.
Researchers say this represents the county's lowest rate of smoking since 1965, when the survey began.
The survey, which was published on Wednesday in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports, also noted that despite an increase in population, the total number of US adult cigarette smokers in 2013 was 42.1 million. A reduction from 45.1 million in 2005.
"There is encouraging news in this study, but we still have much more work to do to help people quit," De. Tim McAfee, director of the CDC's office on Smoking and Health said.
Although there are currently less smokers than ever in the US, the rate of decline varies among different regions and social groups. Researchers observed that the rate of smoking among people who are less educated and live below the poverty line was still on the high. People with disabilities were also found to smoke a lot. Smoking was also found to be high among Indians/Alaska natives, people with mental issues, alcohol and drug abuse and among lesbians, gay and bisexuals.
McAfee said tobacco companies focus their marketing and advertising strategies on these groups. "Particularly among the lesbian/gay/bisexual community and people with substance abuse," he said. "There is evidence that, for decades, the tobacco industry has consciously pursed marketing campaigns aimed at these vulnerable populations."
The CDC's report also notes that although there are less smokers than ever, smoking continues to soar among people of the Midwest. The Midwest region has a smoking rate of about 20.5 percent. The South had 19.2 percent, while about 16.9 percent was recorded for the Northeast. The West has the lowest smoking rate with about 13.6 percent.
The report, which claims that there are less smokers than ever, also revealed that many smokers are trying to reducing the amount of joints they burn up a day. In total, about 76.9 percent of smokers were recorded in 2013, a decline from 80.8 in 2005.
"We can bring down cigarette smoking rates much further, much faster, if strategies proven to work are put in place," McAfee said. "These strategies include funding tobacco control programs, increasing prices of tobacco products, implementing smoke-free laws, and producing hard-hitting media campaigns.
Although there are currently less smokers than ever, cigarette smoking is still the leading preventable cause of disease and death among Americans. 480,000 people lose their lives annually in tobacco related deaths.
