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Tag: smoking

  • As Smoking Declines, More Adults Switching

    As Smoking Declines, More Adults Switching

    Image: Tobacco Reporter archive

    U.S. cigarette smoking dropped to another all-time low last year, with one in 9 adults saying they were current smokers, according to government survey data released April 27. Meanwhile, electronic cigarette use rose, to about one in 17 adults.

    The preliminary findings from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are based on survey responses from more than 27,000 adults.

    Last year, the percentage of adult smokers dropped to about 11 percent, down from about 12.5 percent in 2020 and 2021. The survey findings are sometimes revised after further analysis, and the CDC is expected to release final 2021 data soon.

    E-cigarette use rose to nearly 6 percent last year, from about 4.5 percent the year before, according to survey data.

  • ‘Cancer Moonshot’ Takes Aim at Smoking

    ‘Cancer Moonshot’ Takes Aim at Smoking

    Image: Tobacco Reporter archive

    U.S. President Joe Biden in his State of the Union address stated that cutting smoking rates in order to prevent cancer deaths is a main goal of his “Cancer Moonshot” program.

    According to Biden, the administration’s goal is to cut cancer deaths by half in the next 25 years. In order to do so, one of the aims is to “help people avoid smoking in the first place and support Americans who want to quit.” He noted that “While we have made progress, tobacco products still hook too many young people at an early age and take control away from individual Americans to make the decision not to smoke. The administration is working to put that control back in the hands of Americans.”

    “We’re going to continue to focus on prevention,” said Danielle Carnival, the White House “Cancer Moonshot” coordinator. “We’re committed to continuing to use authorities and programs to keep making progress.”

    Prior to the State of the Union, some conservative commentators had complained about a “war on cigarettes.” After the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced its plan to ban menthol cigarettes, Fox News host Tucker Carlson claimed that nicotine “frees your mind,” according to Business Insider. Biden first launched the “Cancer Moonshot” program in 2015 while he served as vice president. He renewed the program last year.

  • Study: Vape Bans Lead to More Smoking

    Study: Vape Bans Lead to More Smoking

    Photo: motortion

    A new study in Value in Health shows that local vape bans are leading to higher rates of combustible cigarette smoking, according to Filter.

    The study used state-level cigarette sales data, showing that Massachusetts had 7.5 percent higher than expected per capita cigarette sales following a full ban on nicotine vapor products. Rhode Island and Washington, which both enacted nontobacco-flavored nicotine vape bans, showed an average estimate of 4.6 percent higher than expected per capita cigarette sales.

    Researchers suggested that an additional 3.4 million cigarette packs were sold through convenience stores in those states during the three-month study period.

    The study was funded by Juul Labs.