Poll: Fewest U.S. Smokers Since 1944

21% Of U.S. Adults Currently Smoke Cigarettes, Compared To 41% Six Decades Ago, Survey Shows

(WebMD)  A new Gallup poll on smoking shows that 21 percent of U.S. adults currently smoke cigarettes.

That smoking statistic has never been lower since Gallup began polling people in the U.S. about smoking — though it's roughly the same figure as in 1999, 2004, and 2006.

Gallup first started asking people in the U.S. about their smoking habits in 1944. Back then, 41 percent of poll participants reported smoking. Since then, smoking's health risks — including cancer, heart disease, and many other conditions — have been widely reported.

This year's Gallup smoking statistic is very low, but it's not quite an all-time low. "From a statistical perspective, a 22 percent reading in 2004 and a pair of 23 percent measurements in 1999 and 2006 would be considered equivalent to the current reading," states Gallup.

Curious about how Gallup's smoking poll results stack up against official government statistics on smoking?

In October 2006, the CDC reported that nearly 21 percent of U.S. adults had smoked cigarettes in the past year — but that America's eight-year drop in smoking had stalled.

This year's Gallup poll on smoking also shows that most current smokers — 55 percent — report smoking less than a pack of cigarettes daily.

That's another sign of changing times. From 1944 until 1990, fewer than half of current smokers told Gallup that they smoked less than one pack of cigarettes per day.

Gallup's new smoking poll also shows that 81 percent of current smokers say they would like to give up smoking and 79 percent say they're addicted to smoking.

In addition, Gallup reports that one in four current smokers report starting to smoke before age 16. That percentage hasn't been lower since 1991, according to Gallup.

[michellem99-2009]

I DON'T KNOW WHO OR WHERE THIS WAS DONE. Not true. Every where I go there is a smoker so don't say there is fewer. I wish this was true. Even with smoking bans they will smoke.Just cos it not done in public places where it is banned. They smoke on the street,in the home,car. I am 52 and gotten smokee blown my face. I can't see their cigs but they smoke.

[justfacts2]

I don't know where you live, MichelleM99, but you certainly do not live in IL. Less and less there are fewer smokers and on 1 January 2008 people will no longer be allowed to smoke in ANY public place. It is so nice to know that us nonsmokers are FINALLY becoming the majority. EVERYONE, regardless if you are a smoker or a nonsmoker, has the right to breathe CLEAN air. If smokers were more respectful, like the USED to be, then there wouldn't be a problem. I can remember back 10 years ago, if you asked someone to put out their cigarette or whatever, they would apologize and move; they would be really nice and friendly about it. Don't dare ask anymore! I know my state neighbors, Indiana for example, must have more smokers per capita than any other state around us. I do not go to that state just for that reason. It is a shame because I have relatives that live in that state.

[tonic1661]

You can smoke, but do you want your child or

mother or anyone you love to smoke. If you are

in perspective, you would want them to live a

healthy life.

Why not do the same for yourself?

[michellem99-2009]

Seattle. And they have ban them at bus stops and have 25 feet from door but they will light them up.You can't smoke in buildings that the public use thank goodness. Here is the kicker they smoke out side,in the apt building/it gets in. Ask a smoker to please don't smoke or put it out. We have a clean air act in WA state. Asked this one lady to non smoke,she was so rude. She dail*who the hell are you to tell me I can't smoke*. I said I am a 52 year old that needs clean air. She just about bit my head off as the saying goes. I have never smoked. My room mate of 24 yrs has health issues due his smoking. He had his 1st heart attack at 48 sep 00. He has diabetes,heart ,lung problems,COPD. The dr told him to quit right atfer that and he did. My Dad in Maine is on oxsgen 24/7 smoking and the army got him hooked in the 50s. He don't smoke now. It hurts to see a person you love sick from smoking. Every my friend has to do meds,do shots for diabetes. We will be out and people just walk on the side walks with burning cigs. Just Awful. They will blow 60 doller a carton and think nothing of it. SMOKING IS BANNED IN OUR HOME BY US. In Bangor Maine you can't smoke in your car if a child under 18 is in the car. It is their money but it is our health.

[michellem99-2009]

The govt makes money from them. Booze,beer was made illegal in the 20s and 30s. What they did was make their own. Or run it boot leg it..so the govt legalised it. Have you look in to what they put in cigerettes, I did and it is so sick. It was be nice health wise if they were. No sush luck. But as not smokers and non drinkers is is banned in our home. If they wish to smoke not here. Some may think it rude to send a smoker out doors or put it out. I don't. Billy, I would rather they not as the smokes hurts my eyes plus the health problems. We have no smoking posted on our door. Smoking and drinking are not rights. People choose to smoke/drink. I perfer not to but that awful 2rd hand smoke that is forced on me and friend,family back eest.

[tnt1954]

it costs me 300 dollars a month to smoke
3 packs a day. i buy ten cartons a month.
slow suicide actually. might as well enjoy
killing yourself. gotta die of something.
do whatever you want in life, but you'll
have to pay the price for it. i'm 56.
copd, ihss, ms, other related diseases.
ssi, medicaid. how nice of the govt.
to pay for my habit. how kind and generous.
what a way to go, frying my lungs. tried
to quit thousands of times. no dice. have
to stay home all the time, because smoking
is illegal in public.

[tnt1954]

the union of soviet america is a nice clean
place getting cleaner. soon all the smokers
will be dead. all the fresh air fiends
will have their precious fresh air and their
precious bodily fluids ever so neat, tidy
and clean. we're just blips in the cosmos
microscope anyway. a little speck of a
speck of a speck. of no significance whatsoever.
you might delude yourself and think otherwise.
did you know scientists have proven beyond
the shadow of a reasonable doubt that the
world of make-believe is 100% fact and real?
why of course.

[tnt1954]

it truly is true. everything is illegal, immoral,fattening or causes cancer.
society for the rights of plants.
parking to go sky high. excuse, revenue
enhancement. like ten thousand dollars
an hour to park anywhere. in coins.

[tnt1954]

the clean air act, clean water act. soon
the housekeeping police will come by to
make sure your house, apt, car you live in
or trailer, meets the politburo's parameters.
cleanliness is next to godliness. ****
and span at all times. so that there
can be more employment. and cleanliness.

[tnt1954]

a mild ring around the tub shower, this
elicits a ten thousand dollar fine.

[rudy654-2009]

snidegrass - just a little too much free time on your hands?

[michellem99-2009]

snideglass you are a poet did you ever put any books of verse out..Use to read verse in high school. Am 52.
My Dad's friend is a smoker and she told me the state will make her pay her meds bills dues to her failure to quit. I looked it up and sure it is there on computer.
My dear that's alot but cigerettes are a slave. My friend quit cold turkey for health reasons. Yes it was hard but he beat them. Plus he saved money by not smoking for other things. My friend is 55. We are all slave to something ...have a good nite.

[scottyusa]

I am 57 and have been smoking since I was 14. I have tried to quit many times, hypnosis, drugs nothing works. I hate being a smoker feeling like an outcast. I do it because I have to. I am hooked. I hate the way our government is taxing the *** out of us smokers. For me, it is taxing a sickness. I have no health issues smoking related or otherwise. I just had a a PRT where you blow in a tube and they measure lung capacity. To my doctor's and my own amazement my lung capacity is normal. Go figure

[noaanhc]

scottyusa

You must never give up on trying to quit.I know from from reading medical journals that nicotine is more addicting than crack cocaine.This is why you are having such a diffucult time to quit.
The tobacco companys,those merchants of death,
lied to you,me and everytone else over the last century with their bogus claims on the joys of tobacco smoking.

Please never stop trying to quit

I send you mt best wishes.

[michellem99-2009]

That is it the cig makers want you Scotty hooked so you are lucky but have they checked your heart and don't laugh. They told my friend who smoked from child his heart was fine. Then in 00 He had his first of 5 heart attacks. He quit cold turkey plus I would not let him smoke in the apt. Outdoors and he went. Have you tried water over grabbing a cig. I have heard they put stuff in them to hook ya. Best wishes in trying and may be one you will toss them for good.

[grammawhamma]

I grew up as an only child in a smoke and alcohol free home. I started smoking at age 14 and started drinking alcohol at age 16. Never did illegal drugs.

Smoking is very very hard to quit. Alcohol I could take it or leave it. My kids vowed when they were young that they would never smoke. The irony of it all is that my kids (all older by now) started smoking when their dad died of lung cancer. Go figure.

[pxlfxr]

The poll does not reveal some important information which could seriously mislead readers. In 1960 for instance the official smoker percentage of population figures are well known at 54%.

The real number of smokers at that time has remained virtually constant at close to 55 million despite a steady and almost static decline in population prevalence numbers due to population increases at .7% per year, taking us to a figure close to 24%. Stats indicated last year the declines had stalled and among the young increases were noticed for the first time in 50 years. The numbers would indicate with so much focus being directed to kids, the actual effect of the anti smoking movement prescribing smoking bans dividing communities and punishing an addiction with taxation. Efforts have been a disaster and the new Public Health formerly known as the Galton Institute, has been ineffective in their goals to reduce smoking and reduce mortality figures. This can be better understood in a figure they have yet to address.

With declines noted for over 50 years, how is it diseases largely believed to be attributed to smoking continue to climb, at unbelievable rates? Increases above even the more than doubled population figures, which above all else illustrates the more predominant reason for static declines in smoking proportions in populations versus the actual number of smokers which by the gallop poll figures are increased by close to 5 million smokers recently.

[pxlfxr]

cont..
The delay of 29-30 years in observing the effects of smoking can not explain the situation because non smokers reflecting the growing community would not have been affected because they never smoked we should have seen the results of reduced smoking decades ago if it were as significantly associated to the diseases as we have been lead to believe.

This information should give us all reason to reflect on the reasons common sense and the power of communities has always dominated industrial interests and through regulation has kept them in check. Industries fired middle managers and promoted brain storming a while back they discovered the secret of inclusions. Now they seek to impose the old top down corporate structure on us, taking away our greatest advantage with the promotions of Globalization.

Communities and real villages are based in thousands of years of trial and error top down corporations reflect the wisdom of a few educated leaders who win and loose based on their decisions alone. Communities dominated top down will always suffer the effects of small brain pools and conflicted interests The UN is a poor model for community leadership. Isn't it time we took back the decisions of communities by seeking out true representation by more than industry sponsored braggarts who claim to know what is best for communities stealing even our right to manage our own lives and families.

Smoking exposure can be managed by a sign on the door any fool can see that.

[gomanny1]

Thank God i stopped smoking twenty years ago!
our blowhard politicians her in Chicago want to raise more taxes on cigs raising the price of a pack to nearly $8.00!!!! not a carton, a PACK!

[thgdriver]

gomanny1-- I am glad you stopped, not because of price but for your health and those around you.

I quit in 1973, cold turkey, as they say. I try to help others to quit, some tell me to mind my own business, I tell them if you smoke up the air I am breathing it is my business, besides as far as I am concerned, when you smoke you are killing yourself, same as if you are falling from a cliff, all I am doing is tossing you a rope to hold on to. You can grab the rope or not. That's up to you.

[thgdriver]

Your eyes and good sense wouldn't let you go into a room full of burning tobacco and smoke and take a deep breath, but when you suck on a cigarette and inhale that's exactly what your lungs think you just did.