The proportion of US adults who smoke has dropped by around 3% (from 2005 to 2013) according to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the US, causing more than 480,000 deaths/year. Furthermore, for each of these deaths, there are over 30 Americans who continue to live with a smoking-related disease.
The study was conducted in order to assess whether the Healthy People 2020 target to reduce the proportion of US adults who smoke cigarettes to ≤12.0% was likely to be achieved. The CDC used data from the 2013 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to obtain the latest national estimates of cigarette smoking prevalence among US citizens aged ≥18 years.
The prevalence of adult smoking in 2013 was found to be 18%, which is the lowest since records began in 1965. In addition to a fall in the proportion of people smoking, the study showed that the number of cigarette smokers in the US had dropped by 3 million, despite the overall US population increasing.
Tim McAfee, director of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health said,
There is encouraging news in this study, but we still have much more work to do to help people quit.
Among those who still smoke, the frequency of smoking had fallen, with fewer people smoking every day (14% in 2013), and fewer people smoking 20–29 cigarettes per day (29% in 2013).
Brian King, a senior scientific advisor with CDC's Office on Smoking and Health commented "Though smokers are smoking fewer cigarettes, cutting back by a few cigarettes a day rather than quitting completely does not produce significant health benefits. Smokers who quit before they're 40 years old can get back almost all of the 10 years of life expectancy smoking takes away."
Cigarette smoking was found to be particularly high among certain groups, including those below the poverty level, Americans of multiple race, American Indians, those with a disability, and those who are lesbian/gay/bisexual.
Surveys have indicated that about 70% of cigarette smokers want to quit, and there is clear evidence that quitting completely at any age has health benefits.
In order to further reduce the number of US smokers, the CDC has recommended increasing prices of tobacco products, implementing and enforcing comprehensive smoke-free laws, and sustaining hard-hitting media campaigns.
Sources
Cost becomes a significant factor in smoking cessation efforts