A US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report has revealed that cigarette smoking among US adults declined to its lowest recorded level in 2018 at 13.7%.
A CDC report indicated that cigarette smoking among adults in the US fell to 13.7%, a record low since 2018 and represents an approximately two-thirds decrease since the CDC started collecting data in 1965.
CDC director Dr. Robert R. Redfield said: "This marked decline in cigarette smoking is the achievement of a consistent and coordinated effort by the public health community and our many partners. Yet, our work is far from over."
The report showed that approximately 49.1 million US adults, or nearly 1 in 5, used any tobacco product in 2018. The most common product used is cigarettes at 13.7%, followed by cigars, cigarillos and little filtered cigars, which were used by 3.9% of adults.
However, the decline in cigarettes smoking has been replaced by the rise of e-cigarettes, currently the third most common tobacco product used by adults, at 3.2%. This percentage has increased from 2.8% in 2017, despite having been on the decline for several years prior.
The increase in e-cigarette smoking has been partly attributed to a surge in vaping among young adults 18 to 24, which jumped from 5.2% in 2017 to 7.6% in 2018.
The report also discovered that those who were most likely to use tobacco products were between 25 and 44, members of certain minority groups, including lesbian, gay and bisexual adults, and those living with a disability or serious psychological distress.
These people also include those in the Midwest or South and adults making less than $35,000 per year.
The report also revealed that cigarette smokers have become increasingly likely to attempt to quit in the previous 12 months, and they have been more successful at doing so.
In other news, Apple has decided to remove all vaping apps from its app store due to the growing official concerns about the potential impact of vaping on health.
