Gallup: Smoking rate in U.S. falls, ties all-time low

Deseret News ^ | 8/22/12 | Rachel Lowry

[Drango]

PRINCETON, N.J. — The number of Americans who smoke has fallen to 20 percent, tying the all-time low first recorded in 2009, according to a new poll by Gallup.

The decline is sharpest among young adults, a signal the overall rate may continue to fall after years of plateauing.

"This is all very good news," said Randall Burt, professor of medicine at the University of Utah and senior director of prevention and outreach and clinical services at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. "Ultimately, less smoking will result in fewer cancer deaths, as well as a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and lung diseases. As those diseases decrease in incidents in mortality, there will be fast cost savings for insurance companies and government entities, in terms of Medicare and Medicaid."

Researchers interviewed a random sample of 1,014 adults in the U.S. and the District of Columbia, ages 18 and older. Their findings indicated that smoking rates have been driven significantly lower among young adults. At the advent the 2000s, smoking fell 9 percentage points — from 34 percent in 2001-05 to 25 percent in 2011-12 —among those ages 18 to 29. Smoking remained the same among those 65 and older, declining a mere 5 points among those 30 to 49.

"Young adults are now about as likely to smoke as are those aged 30 to 64," Gallup noted, "whereas earlier in the last decade they exhibited the highest rate of smoking of any age group."

~ Burt remembers a time when smoking used to be preferred and encouraged and cool. Now, he said, it is discouraged everywhere and it is no longer cool to smoke. "The entire public vision of smoking has changed from a positive or neutral one to one that's very negative in every way."

~snip

[Drango]

Burt remembers a time when smoking used to be preferred and encouraged and cool. Now, he said, it is discouraged everywhere and it is no longer cool to smoke. "The entire public vision of smoking has changed from a positive or neutral one to one that's very negative in every way."

GRIN.

The smoking wars are over.

[mylife]

Who ever will we get to pay the taxes now?

[penelopesire]

They are going to go after fat people. The path is already being cleared.

[mylife]

That is one of the correct answers.

[unixfox]

The smoking wars are over.

Not to worry. Tyrants are ALWAYS looking for ways to destroy liberty.

That's why we need to kill them before they kill us first.

[TomGuy]

The decline is sharpest among young adults

I live in a 20-unit apartment complex. About 1/3 of the residents are older retired and 2/3 are young singles and couples. The younger residents tend to stay about 6 months to 1 year.

Nearly every new young single or family who have moved in have at least one smoker.

Considering the years of anti-smoking ads and supposed education from the Big Tobacco settlement of 15 years ago, I am surprised at the number of young smokers in this apartment complex.

Apparently, the money from Big Tobacco for anti-smoking didn't work.

[penelopesire]

Then they are going to steal everyone’s 401 K’s.

[Boogieman]

“Now, he said, it is discouraged everywhere and it is no longer cool to smoke”

Pfff. It’s still cool to smoke, it’s just that the club has gotten that much more exclusive.

[mylife]

You got that right!

[Tax-chick]

My husband and I have never smoked, in our entire lives. (I’m 46, he’s 50.) Our parents were smokers (his still are) and we thought it was gross.

Our 21-year-old daughter smokes. Apparently just about every enlisted person in the Coast Guard smokes. She’s an adult ... just don’t smoke in our house. Fortunately, our 18-year-old son is a musician, and he says smoking and excessive drinking would damage his voice, and he can’t have that.

[mylife]

Then they are going to steal everyone’s 401 K’s.

Don't worry though.

It's for the collective good.

[Emperor Palpatine]

Good!



That just means there's more for me!

[Sooth2222]

It's a regressive tax -- poor people pay more. As a result of Obamanomics, there are now more poor people in the US than there have been in the last 50 years! So the tax base should be safe!

[Emperor Palpatine]

No offense, but your son is mistaken. I conduct orchestras and I can tell you that many of the world's leading opera singers smoke.

Besides, all that booze and all those cigarettes didn't seen to hurt these guys' magnificent voices....

[Drango]

True. Smoking is highly negatively correlated with income. AND education.

[hulagirl]

Killing off Joe Camel must’ve worked, eh?

[mylife]

Yes, I understand the latest thing that academics praise is smoking pole.

[Drango]

Joe Camel

Spuds McKenzie was"kooler"

[cicero2k]

The way cigarettes are priced, they should be a plaything for the upper income classes, like expensive wine.

Instead, they are consumed by the poor; like street drugs.

Sad.

Not to mention wine in moderate quantites enhances health. Same cannot be said for smoking .

Sadder.

[MasterGunner01]

And now begins the lament: What are we going to do to make up all the tax revenue we (states, feds) are losing from decreased cigarette sales? Solution: Raise every body’s taxes to make up the shortfall.