The number of Americans who smoke cigarettes has hit a new low, dipping below 40 million for the first time since record-keeping began five decades ago.
A CDC report found that the number of smokers dropped from 45.1 million in 2005 to 36.5 million in 2015, constituting 15% of Americans.
Rates decreased more sharply among men (from 24% to 16%) than among women (from 17% to 14%), according to the New York Times. Twenty-five to 64-year-olds were more likely to smoke than those who were older or younger. Non-Hispanic blacks and whites were more likely to smoke than Hispanics. Those living below the poverty line were nearly twice as likely to smoke as others.
[NYT]
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Essay: The Tyre Nichols Videos Demand Solemnity, Not Sensationalism
- For People With Disabilities, Losing Abortion Access Can Be a Matter of Life or Death
- Inside the Stealth Efforts to Smuggle Starlink Internet Into Iran
- Natasha Lyonne on Poker Face and Creating Characters Who Subvert Leading-Lady Tropes
- How to Help the Victims and Community After the Monterey Park Shooting
- Why Grocery Staples Are So Expensive Right Now
- Quantum Computers Could Solve Countless Problems—and Create a Lot of New Ones
- Where to Watch All of the 2023 Oscar Nominees
- How to Be Mindful if You Hate Meditating
