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]
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