Surgeon General: Smoking rates dropping, disparities persist

A new report from the U.S. Surgeon General’s office found that although adult and youth smoking rates this decade have dipped to the lowest levels on record, stubborn disparities remain (Source: ”Nearly a half million die each year from tobacco use. Some groups face higher risk,” USA Today, Nov. 19).
 
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released a report this week saying that cigarette smoking is more common among American Indian and Alaska Native people than other racial and ethnic groups. People living in poverty are more than twice as likely to smoke than those who earn non-poverty wages. Black people, lower-income populations and people with less education are more likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke.
 
Because cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke kill nearly half a million people each year nationwide, Murthy said an accelerated effort is needed to limit disparities in smoking rates and reduce secondhand smoke.