U.S. Not Meeting Goals on Reducing Smoking, CDC Reports

The United States is not on track to meet the government’s goal of reducing cigarette smoking prevalence to 12 percent by 2020, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). An estimated 443,000 people die from cigarette smoking each year, the CDC report states.

The CDC’s Tobacco Control State Highlights 2012 finds Utah had the lowest adult smoking rate, 11.8 percent, while Kentucky had the highest rate, 29 percent. The U.S. median was 21.2 percent, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Tobacco use results in 5.1 million years of potential life lost annually, according to the CDC. Overall, the percentage of American adults who smoke has declined, and they are smoking fewer cigarettes per day. Smoking is much more common among those who live in poverty and those with less education.

Last week, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found smokers lose at least 10 years of life expectancy, compared with those who have never smoked. Quitting before age 40 can reduce the excess risk of death associated with smoking by about 90 percent.