There’s some great news to share from the anti-smoking front: more people are quitting and fewer people are starting.
In a recent presentation to the American Heart Association, researchers unveiled these positive findings.
Where there is still work to be done, the numbers are quite promising.
The Thirty Year Smoking Study
University of Minnesota researchers discovered a significant and positive trend amongst smokers surveyed between the years 1980 to 2009: more and more people are quitting smoking, and less and less are starting in the first place.
The number of male smokers and the number of female smokers over this thirty-year period has decreased by more than half. The number of men who reported ever smoking a cigarette decreased from 72% in 1980 to 44% in 2009. For women, 55% in 1980 had smoked a cigarette, whereas by 2009 only 39% had.
Furthermore, researchers discovered that the number of cigarettes smoked per day on average has significantly decreased: both men and women reported smoking ten cigarettes less per day on average than compared with rates from 1980.
Reasons Behind Increased Quit Rates
The increased number of people quitting smoking is likely due to a few different factors. More and more governments are adopting legislation to heavily regulate not only the sale of cigarettes but the use of them too. For instance, in jurisdictions where indoor smoking bans have been implemented, the rates of people quitting have gone up.
There has also been an increase in the number of programs available that are funded by tobacco settlement funds. Researchers also speculate that the rising costs associated with smoking have played a large contributing factor to people quitting.
Finally, an effective reason for people to quit smoking: there has been a gradual transformation of people viewing smoking as an acceptable social past time to one attached with social stigma.
Kick Your Own Butt
There are many smoking cessation resources available for people wanting to quit or for people wanting to help others quit.
And remember that while cutting back on smoking is a good first step, any amount of cigarettes is still dangerous to one’s health.
Reference
Minneapolis Study Points to Sharp Drop in Smoking Rates by Amanda Gardner [http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=645915]
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