Fewer Californians Smoke Cigarettes
Cigarette smoking rates in California have declined by 8.7% since 1988 to 14% of the adult population in 2005, according to the Department of Health Services, the Sacramento Bee reports. The rate is the lowest since the state started tracking smoking rates.
Californians between ages 18 and 24 had the highest rate of smoking, at 18%. Although Californians smoke cigarettes 25% less than residents of other states, tobacco use remains the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the state, resulting in more than 400,000 deaths annually (Sacramento Bee, 4/25).
A DHS release on the declining smoking rate is available online.