Posted on 08/22/2012 7:54:22 PM PDT by 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
(Excerpt) Read more at deseretnews.com ...
Think of all that cig tax money that Uncle Sam’s not getting.
Pretty soon we’ll see ads claiming it’s patriotic to smoke because the cig taxes support health care for poor children.
For every Rat Pack example there are counterpoints. Aretha Franklin had to give up smoking to restore her range. Smoking helped destroy Whitney Houston's voice. Elton john's loss of range is partially attributed to smoking because it necessitated surgery on his vocal cords. Pavarotti refused to even enter a room for performance where there'd been smoking because of the adverse effects it had on him.
You mean those OWS people were contributing to *gasp* Evil "Big Tobacco"?
Fat people!
The smoking wars are far from over - it’s merely the case that “cool” smokers now prefer to smoke marijuana, easily just as poisonous as tobacco, and arguably worse in many ways.
While suggestible Americans condemn tobacco, they seek the legalization of marijuana, and the “smoking wars” - so called - continue unabated.
First cigarettes, then sodas, then fast foods, then cars, then single family homes..
The great bass-baritone Leonard Warren smoked 10-15 cigars a day, and he had a marvelously sinister and oily voice that just billowed out from the stage and filled the theater like a huge cloud. Once heard he’s unforgettable.
He used to tell people that the smoke from the cigars burnished his voice.
If you listen to him sing the “Te Deum” - the final line of which is my tagline - as Scarpia in the legendary 1960 Rome recording with Björling and Milanov you’d understand just how magnificently dark and evil this man’s voice could be.
Smoke or no smoke.
The great bass-baritone Leonard Warren smoked 10-15 cigars a day, and he had a marvelously sinister and oily voice that just billowed out from the stage and filled the theater like a huge cloud. Once heard he’s unforgettable.
He used to tell people that the smoke from the cigars burnished his voice.
If you listen to him sing the “Te Deum” - the final line of which is my tagline - as Scarpia in the legendary 1960 Rome recording of Puccini’s “Tosca” with Björling and Milanov you’d understand just how magnificently dark and evil this man’s voice could be.
Smoke or no smoke.
Now you’ve got it!
Ahh Puccini’s Tosca.
I swear there are things in Tosca that Pink Floyd tried to emulate musically.
Yes. I had only ever seen the protesters on TV and I had no idea they were still there very dirty and unproductive at best.
rue. Smoking is highly negatively correlated with income. AND education.
LOL!!!! Im not going there. While its negatively impacted my health in a way, I do not lack education. Just income. ;0)
Cool. Thanks for sharing.(I sound like im in an aa meeting) lol..
Not a very good version LOL
We are just people.
Warren died on stage at the age of 48. His voice wasn't so great after that.
Pain is in the resistance....
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