Smoking Good News and Bad News

Swayed by multi-billion dollar anti-smoking ad campaigns, higher tobacco taxes and simply getting tired of dying young, over 80 percent of U.S. adults have either quit or never started smoking, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Still, says CDC, smoking remains the nation's number one killer, claiming 443,000 lives during 2007, at a cost of $193 billion to the economy.

CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report showed that only19.8 percent of U.S. adults (43.4 million people), were current smokers in 2007, down from 20.8 percent in 2006. Despite the decline, says CDC, smoking is still responsible for at least 30 percent of all cancer deaths, including more than 80 percent of lung cancer deaths.

"The good news, we continue to see fewer people smoking," said Janet Collins, Ph.D., director of CDC′s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in a press release. "The bad news is we need more people to quit. Quitting smoking is the most important step smokers can take to improve their health and protect the health of nonsmoking family members. Smokers should be aware that there are treatments and services available to help them quit now more than ever before. Smokers can more than double their likelihood of successfully quitting by using medications and telephone counseling."

Also keep in mind that the CDC's smoking cessation figures refer only to adults. Let's not forget about the kids.

Also See:
List of Organs Damaged by Smoking Expanded
U.S. Teen Smoking Declines Significantly
Where Do U.S. Kids Get Their Cigarettes?