Rate of California Adult, Teen Smokers Dropped Last Year

About 11% of California adults and teenagers smoked in 2014 -- down from 12% a year earlier, according to data from the California Health Interview Survey, the Sacramento Bee reports.

The survey was released by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

State Efforts To Reduce Smoking

The state Department of Public Health has worked to discourage smoking in the state and has highlighted the adverse health effects. For example, the state restricts the locations where individuals are allowed to smoke, largely banning smoking from public places that are enclosed.

Meanwhile, a stalled measure in the state Legislature aimed to raise the legal smoking age in the state to 21.

Details of Smoking Rates

According to the data, California smokers last year tended to be less affluent and less educated than those who did not smoke. For instance:

• 8% of California households with annual incomes of $100,000 or more included smokers between 2011 and 2014;
• 18% of households with annual incomes of $30,000 or less included smokers during that time period;
• 7% of Californians with a bachelor's or graduate degree were smokers during that time period; and
• 19% of Californians with just a high school diploma were smokers during that time period.

Meanwhile, rural residents were more likely to smoke than urban residents (Reese, Sacramento Bee, 11/25).