A 2015 survey conducted by the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that smoking rates amongst adults is down two percentage points since this time last year. Adult smoking has hit an all-time low.
The survey indicates that only 15.2 percent of American adults are using traditional cigarettes. The census bureau operates on behalf of the CDC and uses the National Health Interview Survey to generate the data. The data is preliminary because it is generated from January to March, meaning that more smokers may have arisen further away from New Years’ resolution time.
However, even with the margin of error, it is believed that fewer Americans are smoking than ever before.
They believe there are a variety of reasons for this decline.
- Cigarette tax increases
- Publicized information regarding the dangers of cigarette smoking
- Public education campaigns
- The entertainment community being encouraged to not glamorize smoking
- The restriction of smoking in a variety of places
Many people who are no longer smoking have chosen to quit altogether or have decided upon an alternative like nicotine patches or electronic cigarettes.
Dr. Harold Pollack, a professor at the University of Chicago and expert on public health, is gratified to see continued progress, clarifying: “We still have a long way to go – both domestically and across the globe – in addressing our most widespread preventable cause of death, disability, and illness,” Dr. Pollack told HuffPost.