The decline in cigarette smoking in the United States: Why we should worry and not celebrate

Brian N Fink

DOI: 10.32677/yjm.v2i2.4256

DOI URL: https://doi.org/10.32677/yjm.v2i2.4256

Publish Date: 28-09-2023

Pages: 66 - 67

Views: 3

Downloads: 3

Author Affiliation:

Professor, Department of Population Health, University of Toledo Health Science Campus, Toledo, Ohio, United States of America

Abstract

In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided a press release regarding the decline in cigarette smoking among adults in the United States. The 2018 percentage had reached an all-time low of 13.7%, which was nearly a two-thirds drop in use since the 1964 Surgeon General report that warned of the health consequences of smoking. The then-CDC Director, Robert Redfield, stated “This marked decline in cigarette smoking is the achievement of a consistent and coordinated effort by the public health community and our many partners.” In fact, the percentage of adults aged 18 and older in the United States who currently smoke cigarettes declined from 20.9% in 2005 to 11.5% in 2021