For first time in 15 years, smoking rate has increased

For the very first time in about 15 years, cigarette smoking has moderately increased. This has upset health officials who were optimistic that the U.S. smoking rate had permanently moved below 20 percent.

According to a 2008 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, slightly less than 21 percent of American adults claim that they smoke. Unfortunately, that is an increase from the previous year, which had only 19.8 percent claiming to be smokers. Also, it is the very first surge in adult smoking since 1994.

Since the increase is so minor, it might be seen as insignificant. For this reason, experts and health officials are saying that the rate is flat and not rising. This said, they are still upset about this troubling trend.

Vince Willmore, a spokesman for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, says that he believes they’ve hit a wall when it comes to decreasing adult smoking.  This campaign is a Washington-based research and advocacy organization.

Indoor smoking laws, cigarette taxes and Congress’ recent decision allowing the FDA to regulate tobacco have all contributed to smoking being conceived as a diminishing health hazard. Reductions in state tobacco control campaigns have compromised the positive steps that have been made towards reducing smoking. Some believe that tobacco companies are beginning to defeat rising obstacles.

Marketing cigarettes has consistently maintained and is now influencing kids and minorities by using flavored and menthol products, according to Dr. Clyde Yancy, who is the president of the American Heart Association. The industry has also been marking down cigarettes to compensate for tax increases. The average price of a pack of cigarettes has climbed 63 percent between 1997 and 2004. The price rose only 2 percent between 2004 and 2008, as adult smoking came down by 1 percent, according to industry sales data. Dr. Matthew McKenna, director of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, says that adult smoking stayed at around 21 percent from 2004 to 2006 and then plummeted a complete percentage point in 2007.

The smoking rate for adults has decreased on and off since the middle of the 60s. During this time, about 2 out of every 5 American adults smoked. Currently it is 1 in 5, although federal goals for 2010 were aspiring to decrease the rate to 1 in 10.

The results from this survey, which was released November 12, were achieved from personal interviews of almost 22,00 adult Americans.

Sadly, cigarette smoking still remains as the leading preventable cause of death and illness in the United States.