Washington – Fewer Americans are smoking than in previous years, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Researchers found that smoking rates dropped by a full percentage point – from 17.8 percent in 2013 to 16.8 percent in 2014. The 16.8 percent of those who smoke represented about 40 million Americans – a 19 percent decrease from 2005, when 45.1 million Americans (20.9 percent of the population) smoked.
In a statement released Nov. 12, the American Heart Association stated it is pleased with the results, but that the battle against tobacco smoking is far from finished.
“The significant headway made from 2013 to 2014 is reason for applause, and we are gratified to see such a decline in the smoking rate in just one year,” AHA CEO Nancy Brown said in a press release. “However, as we celebrate this victory in the fight against tobacco, we are also reminded we still have a long way to go to stamp out smoking completely.”
The study was published in the Nov. 13 edition of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
