Adult and youth smoking rates in the United States have reached historic lows this decade, yet significant disparities persist among the 36 million adult smokers and 760,000 adolescent smokers.
American Indians feature highest in the list
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released a report on Tuesday highlighting that smoking rates are higher among American Indian and Alaska Native populations compared to other racial and ethnic groups.
Additionally, individuals living in poverty are more than twice as likely to smoke than those with higher incomes. Black individuals, lower-income communities, and those with less education also face greater exposure to secondhand smoke.
A million deaths annually due to smoking
Murthy emphasized that cigarette smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke contribute to nearly half a million deaths annually in the U.S., underlining the need for an accelerated effort to reduce these disparities and prevent further harm. He expressed that the health of both children and adults across the nation is at stake. He reiterated that tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death in the country, with nearly 490,000 lives lost each year due to tobacco-related diseases.
The report called for significant policy changes, including limiting nicotine content in cigarettes and other tobacco products to “minimally addictive or nonaddictive levels.” Such measures could prevent more than 33 million people from starting to smoke and potentially save 8 million lives by 2100.
Biden administration on tobacco and smoking
While tobacco control groups have advocated for the menthol cigarette ban, the Biden administration has stalled the rule, despite support from public health organizations. The tobacco industry, however, has opposed the ban. Citing research from 2023, the report projected that a nationwide ban on menthol cigarettes could prevent up to 654,000 deaths over the next 40 years.
Murthy reiterated the importance of finalizing the federal menthol ban and implementing nicotine limits in tobacco products, describing these actions as vital steps toward a “tobacco end game”—a future where no lives are lost, and no diseases are caused by tobacco use. Advocates for tobacco control criticized the Biden administration’s delay in finalizing the menthol cigarette ban, arguing that the decision could undermine efforts to reduce smoking for decades.
Read More: COVID-19 Virus Can Shrink Cancer Tumours: New Study Reveals
