Attitudes about cigarette smoking have changed with time. What was once considered to be a common habit among adults in the United States has been recognized as a real health-risk and a contributing factor to an overall decline in tobacco smoker’s health.
Just fifteen years ago, 20 out of every 100 adults in the United States smoked tobacco. The latest numbers show that number has dropped to 14 out of every 100 adults.
But here in Chattooga County, the number of adult smokers remains above the national average, and the state average for Georgia.
According to the CDC, 16 out of every 100 adults in Georgia smoke tobacco. In Chattooga County, the latest numbers show a 25.7% adult smoking rate.
According to the CDC numbers, adults between the ages of 24-65 make up the largest percentage of smokers. The good news is, adults between the age of 18-24 are the most likely not to smoke. In fact, the smoking rate among young adults has fallen to just 8%.
Here are more smoking facts from the CDC:
- Smoking leads to disease and disability and harms nearly every organ of the body.
- Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States.
- The tobacco industry spends billions of dollars each year on marketing cigarettes.
- Smoking costs the United States hundreds of billions of dollars each year.
- States do not spend much of the money they get from tobacco taxes and lawsuits to prevent smoking and help smokers quit. CDC recommends that states spend 12% of those funds on tobacco control.
- In 2019, 14.0% of all adults (34.1 million people) currently smoked cigarettes: 15.3% of men, 12.7% of women.
- Each day, about 1,600 youth try their first cigarette.
- Many adult cigarette smokers want to quit smoking.
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