US adult smoking rate at 16.8 percent last year

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) reported on Friday that the adult smoking rate in the US fell to a record low of 16.8 percent last year, down from 17.8 percent in 2013, according to a statement from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) issued through PRNewswire.

The smoking rate has declined by nearly 20 percent since 2005, when 20.9 percent of the population smoked, and by 60 percent since 1965, when 42.4 percent smoked.

But the CDC reported also large disparities in smoking, with higher rates among people who live below the poverty level; those with less education; American Indians and Alaska Natives; residents of the Midwest; and lesbians, gays and bisexuals. Adults who are uninsured or on Medicaid smoke at more than double the rates of those with private health insurance or Medicare.

‘It is good news for our nation’s health that smoking continues to decline, but there is much work to do to finish the job and protect all Americans from the number one cause of preventable death’ said Matthew L. Myers, CTFK’s president. ‘It is not acceptable that tobacco use still kills nearly half a million Americans and costs us about $170 billion in health care expenses each year.

‘It is also unacceptable that we have become a nation of haves and have-nots in combating tobacco use, with some populations and communities lagging behind and suffering higher burdens of tobacco-related death and disease as a result.

‘Our tremendous progress shows that we know how to win the fight against tobacco. Proven solutions must be fully implemented across the nation, including higher tobacco taxes, strong smoke-free laws, well-funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs that include mass media campaigns, and comprehensive, barrier-free health insurance coverage for smoking cessation treatments.’