Smokers are Smoking Less According to CDC Report

According to data released in a statement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of American adults smoking cigarettes has gone down. Also in the report is data suggesting that individuals who due still smoke on a daily basis are smoking fewer cigarettes than they used to.

The report is based on data from 2005 to 2010 and shows that about 45.3 million Americans over the age of 18 are regular smokers with just under 80% of them smoking on a daily basis. This number represents a drop of nearly 1 percent from five years earlier.

While the data pointed to a reduction in the number of heavy smokers, consuming more than 30 cigarettes per day, it also showed that the group of light smokers (9 or fewer per day) has actually increased by nearly 6%.

“Any decline in the number of people who smoke and the number of cigarettes consumed is a step in the right direction. However, tobacco use remains a significant health burden for the people of United States,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “States with the strongest tobacco control programs have the greatest success at reducing smoking.

“You don’t have to be a heavy smoker or a long–time smoker to get a smoking–related disease or have a heart attack or asthma attack,” said Dr. Frieden. “The sooner you quit smoking, the sooner your body can begin to heal.”

According to the report, Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the United States. Tobacco use and exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke kill an estimated 443,000 Americans each year.

Smokers can get free resources and help quitting by calling 1–800–QUIT–NOW (784–8669) or visiting www.smokefree.gov