CDC Says Cigarette Smoking At An All-Time Low Among American Adults
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control said Tuesday that “cigarette smoking is at an all-time low” as “only 15.3% of American adults now light up — down from 16.8% in 2014 and 24.7% in 1997.” According to experts, “Americans are butting out because of the high cost of cigarettes and thanks to fewer legal places to smoke.” Also people are more aware of the danger associated with smoking like COPD, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, heart attacks, strokes and so many other diseases.
The report was based on surveys of 26,000 people:
- 17.3% of men and 13.5% of women smoke.
- The fewest smokers, 8.4%, are among those 65 and older.
- Roughly 17% of adults 18 to 64 smoke.
- Whites smoke more than blacks with 17.7% to 16.9%. Just under 10% of Hispanics smoke.
- Health experts were happy to see that 67.6% of women and 57.9% of men reported that they never smoked.
The numbers are a big change from the days when many Americans smoked multiple packs of low-cost cigs a day. In the 1940s, a pack cost around 15 cents. Today, packs can cost as much as $14.