Smoking Among Some Adults Dropped Dramatically in Past Three Decades

Source: Science Daily

The proportion of adult smokers dramatically decreased during the past three decades in at least one metropolitan area -- with more quitting and fewer picking up the habit, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2010.

...

* The number of current smokers was cut in half, decreasing from 32.8 percent to 15.5 percent in men and from 32.7 percent to 12.2 percent in women, with greater decreases among adults with higher income and more education.

* Current smokers were smoking less. The age-adjusted average number of cigarettes smoked per day decreased from 23.5 to 13.5 in men and 21.1 to 10.0 in women.

* Fewer Americans picked up the habit, with ever-smokers dropping from 71.6 percent to 44.2 percent in men and from 54.7 percent to 39.6 percent in women.

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Read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101114161818.htm

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I know it's not shocking news, but there are some parts of it that do give evidence of some of the trends that are "common knowledge."

A pack cost $.40 in 1975 and is now over $7.00.

They're $13+ in Manhattan.

But I do remember going to the corner store as a grammer schooler and buying Winston's for my mother, 50 cents a pack in 1970 in Connecticut.

I wish my town would ban smoking in restaurants. They haven't, so usually I go to restaurants in a nearby city that does ban it.

either from a store willing to break the law or an entrepreneurial neighbor, you tend to light up, suck enough smoke to scratch the itch, and stub it out, to be relit later when you start to itch again. That's why the number per day has gone down. They're barely maintaining instead of smoking down to the filter every time they light up.

I know there are a lot of factors at play in that equation, but...

My company's policy just enacted a charge of $50 per month/per person for the privilege of tobacco use. Been able to avoid that so far by going with the wife's work policy, but you can bet your butts that if we have to pay an extra $1,200/yr. to smoke - we'll quit.

The tobacco-use tax/profit-well is quickly running dry.

Six years for me.

Research has shown that smokers who die young cost less than nonsmokers who live to a ripe old age and develop unavoidable age-related medical problems.

water, food, inadequate activity.

eom

Referring to a perpetually shrinking audience for his products.

:shrug:

You could jack the price up to $500 a carton & people would still buy, even if they had to do without gas or food.

It's said cigarettes can be as addictive as heroin or methamphetamine.

No patch, no gum, no cigs. Screw 'em. They suck.