Fewer U.S. Adults are Picking Up the Habit, Smoking Stats Fall to 18 Percent

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that as of 2011, the number of American adults who spent time ingesting cigarettes fell to 18 percent.

According to The Associated Press, the number seemed to be declining for the past several decades until researchers noted that it seemed to level off at 20 to 21 percent before falling to 19 percent in 2011.

These findings are from a survey of about 35,000 adults in which the smoking rate was 9 percent among people ages 65 and older but about 20 percent for younger adults. Typically, survey results showed that men had higher smoking rates than men.

The Associated Press reported that the survey rates, however, did not include teens. However, a previous CDC study showed that about 16 percent of high school students were smokers in 2011.

Many factors have contributed to the latest decline in adult smoking, including more public smoking bans, higher state and federal tobacco taxes, and increased spending prevention and cessation programs, according to Patrick Reynolds, the executive director of the Foundation for a SmokeFree America.

"This is a real decline in smoking in America. I'm ecstatic about it. It's proof that we are winning the battle against tobacco," Reynolds said, according to the AP.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the U.S.

Worse yet, the American Lung Association shows that cigarette smoke contains over 4,8000 chemicals, 69 of which are known cause cancer.

Seventy percent of smokers start at age 18 and 86 percent start by 21.

Best to just never start.