Maybe you’ve noticed, or maybe you’re just going along enjoying the fresh air and unconcerned as to the cause, but according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the number of cigarette smokers in the US has just hit the lowest levels public health officials have ever seen, down a whopping 67% from adults in 1965. Only about 14 percent of Americans over the age of 18 smoked cigarettes last year, down from more than 40 percent in 1965. Think about it. Almost half the US population identified themselves as smokers in the 1960’s. That makes for some seriously toxic and cloudy atmospheres in just about every public space that even non-smokers encountered. Makes our eyes water just thinking about it.
This record low number of cigarette smokers is great news. Smoking kills nearly half a million Americans every year, making it the leading cause of preventable death and disability in the US. The bad news is that there are still populations where smoking is worryingly common — including those adults experiencing psychological distress, and those on Medicaid or without health insurance, i.e. poorer populations.
The big question is why we’re seeing the number of smokers in the US decline. Some people believe it’s the rise of vapes. But although e-cigarette companies do market vapes as cigarette alternatives, and some adults do use them to kick their cigarette habit, the stats aren’t supporting that as the main reason cigarettes are on such a decline. If smokers were really switching to vapes, we should see those numbers rise proportionately as cigarettes decline. But in 2017, only about 2.8 percent of adults were vaping, which was actually down from the 3.4 percent recorded in 2015. The math doesn’t add up. Keep in mind, these are adults we are talking about. There’s a whole other epidemic going on with teens and vaping, but that issue is for another day.
What is more likely is that the tried-and-true methods designed to help cut down on the number of people who smoke have, over time, turned out to be effective. Things like public awareness campaigns, taxing tobacco products, the rise in ordinances banning smoking in public places, and easy access to cessation aids like nicotine gum and patches, all seem to be working. And maybe people are just more concerned with their overall health and wellness these days. Whatever the reasons, it’s a positive trend that we hope will continue.
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