Senior Citizens Continue as Least Likely Smokers,
More Likely to Quit Than Most
Smoking in US causes 443,000 deaths annually, costs
$193 billion; Great American Smokeout on Nov. 20
Group
1965
2007
Ch.
% Ch
All Adults
42.4
19.8
22.6
53.30%
Male
51.9
22.3
29.6
57.03%
Female
33.9
17.4
16.5
48.67%
Age 1824
45.5
22.2
23.3
51.21%
Age 2544
51.2
22.8
28.4
55.47%
Age 4564
41.6
21
20.6
49.52%
Age 65+
17.9
8.3
9.6
53.63%
Nov. 17, 2008 The latest statistics on smoking
show senior citizens are much less likely than younger adults to smoke
and they have reduced their percentage of smokers from 1965 slightly
more than the average for all U.S. adults. About 19.8% of U.S. adults
smoke but only 8.3% of seniors are still hooked. The percentage of those
smoking in 1965 compared to 2007 shows a 53.3% decline for all adults
and 53.6% for those age 65 or older.
The estimated 19.8% of U.S. adult smokers (43.4
million people) in 2007 was down from 20.8% in 2006 and 42.4 in 1965.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the latest
numbers just ahead of the annual Great American Smokeout and World COPD
Day.
Although fewer U.S. adults smoke, cigarette smoking
continues to impose substantial health and financial costs on society,
according to the
CDC. And, based on the current rate of decline, it is unlikely that
the national health objective of reducing the prevalence of adult
cigarette smoking to 12% or lower will be met by 2010.
Smoking causes at least 30% of all cancer deaths,
including more than 80% of lung cancer deaths, and 80% of deaths from
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Smoking is responsible for early
cardiovascular disease and death. As a result, about half of all
long-term smokers, particularly those who began smoking as teens, die
prematurely, many in middle age.
The bad news is we need more people to quit.
Quitting smoking is the most important step smokers can take to improve
their health and protect the health of nonsmoking family members.
Smokers should be aware that there are treatments and services available
to help them quit now more than ever before. Smokers can more than
double their likelihood of successfully quitting by using medications
and telephone counseling.
Another MMWR study released this week by CDC
assessed the U.S. health consequences and productivity losses
attributable to smoking.
National estimates of annual smoking deaths
indicate that, during 20002004, cigarette smoking and exposure to
secondhand smoke resulted in approximately 443,000 annual premature
deaths, consistent with previous estimates.
In addition, during 20012004, average annual
smoking-attributable health care expenditures were approximately $96
billion, compared to $75 billion in 1998. Accounting for direct health
care expenditures and productivity losses ($97 billion), the total
economic burden of smoking is approximately $193 billion per year.
Great American Smokeout November 20
November 20, 2008, marks the
American Cancer Society′s 32nd Great American Smokeout. The event
encourages smokers to quit for at least one day in the hope that this
might help them to stop using tobacco permanently. The Smokeout also
draws attention to the many proven ways to encourage people to stop
smoking. These include making it more affordable for people to use
medical treatments, establishing smoke-free environments in homes,
workplaces and restaurants, increasing the price of cigarettes, and mass
media campaigns to inform and help motivate tobacco users to quit.
World COPD Day November 19
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a
growing global public health problem. According to new projections, COPD
is predicted to become the third leading cause of death worldwide by
2030 (1). In 2005, COPD was the fourth leading cause of death in the
United States. To increase global awareness of COPD, the Global
Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (http://www.goldcopd.com)
is sponsoring World COPD Day on November 19, 2008.
If we want to see far more people quit smoking,
we need expanded access to stop smoking programs, continued progress in
eliminating secondhand smoke exposure and ongoing investment in programs
that work, said Matthew McKenna, M.D., M.P.H., director, CDC′s
Office on Smoking and Health.
If, starting in 2009, all states were to fully
implement tobacco control programs at CDC-recommended levels of
investment, an estimated five million fewer people in this country would
smoke within five years, and hundreds of thousands of premature
tobacco-related deaths would be prevented each year.
Tobacco users who want help in quitting can call
1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) (TTY 1-800-332-8615) for free
telephone-based counseling anywhere in the United States or visit
http://1800quitnow.cancer.gov for quitting assistance. Information
about the Great American Smokeout is available at
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ped/ped_10_4.asp.
● In 2007, an estimated
77.8% (33.8 million) smoked every day, and 22.2% (9.6 million) smoked
some days.
● In 2007, 39.8% (13.4
million) of adult current everyday smokers had stopped smoking for >1
day during the preceding 12 months because they were trying to quit.
● Among the estimated
86.8 million adults who had smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their
lifetime (defined as ever smokers), 52.1% (47.3 million) were no longer
smoking at the time of the interview.
● Smoking prevalence
was higher among men (22.3%) than women (17.4%).
● Among the different
racial/ethnic populations, Asians (9.6%) had the lowest smoking
prevalence, whereas American Indians/Alaska Natives (36.4%) had
significantly higher prevalence than the other racial/ethnic
populations.
● Smoking prevalence
among whites (21.4%) and blacks (19.8%) was significantly higher than
among Hispanics (13.3%).
● Smoking prevalence
also varied by education level among adults aged >25 years. Adults who
had a General Education Development (GED) diploma (44.0%) and those with
9--11 years of education (33.3%) had the highest prevalence of current
smoking. Those who had an undergraduate or graduate degree had the
lowest smoking prevalence (11.4% and 6.2%, respectively).
● By age group, the
prevalence of smoking was lowest among those aged >65 years (8.3%),
compared with those aged <65 years (persons aged 18--24 years [22.2%],
aged 25--44 years [22.8%], and aged 45--64 years [21.0%]).
● Smoking among adults
whose incomes were below the federal poverty level (28.8%) was
significantly higher than those whose incomes were at or above this
level (20.3%) (p<0.02).
● The prevalence of
cigarette smoking among adults was significantly lower in 2007 (19.8%)
than in 2006 (20.8%) (p=0.05).
● Subgroups with
significant decreases in smoking prevalence from 2006 to 2007 included
blacks (from 23.0% in 2006 to 19.8% in 2007 [p=0.01]) and adults aged
>65 years (from 10.2% in 2006 to 8.3% in 2007 [p=0.01]).
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