Smoking in the state of California has been greatly reduced over the past 20 years, due to aggressive statewide public awareness and anti-smoking campaigns. As a result of these efforts, California now boasts the second-lowest rate of adult smokers in the nation. Smoking bans in many public areas have contributed greatly to the reduction in smokers. For instance, a smoke-free bar law went into effect in 1998. Over the next 4 years compliance with the law increased from 46% in 1998 to 76% in 2002, reflecting a significant drop in the number of adults smoking in these areas.
According to Dr. Mark Horton of the California Department of Public Health, the adult smoking rate has dropped from 22.7 percent in 1988 to 13.8 percent in 2007. California’s low rate of adult smokers is even more striking when compared to the 2006 national rate of smokers over the age of 18, which was 21%.
Man Smoking a Cigarette
An estimated one million lives and $86 billion in healthcare costs have been saved in California over the past two decades due to this reduction in adult smokers. The California Department of Public Health states that since 1988, per capita cigarette consumption in California has dropped by 59%, compared to a 35% reduction in the rest of United States.
Regarding youth smokers in California, statistics show a sharp decline in the number of smokers under the age of 18 from 1996-2004. However, there was an increase in smokers among this age group from 2004-2006. Suggested factors include an increase in tobacco marketing, lower prices of cigarettes, and a drop in teenagers’ intentions not to smoke.
Teenagers Light Сigarettes
Despite this 2-year increase, however, 2006 statistics reflect a lower rate of 30-day smoking prevalence among people under the age of 18 in California (15.4%) compared to the rest of the U.S. (19.7%), according to a California Department of Public Health Fact Sheet.
When broken down into ethnic groups, 2006 surveys reveal the greatest rate of smoking among white teenagers (18.3%), followed by Hispanic (14.3%), African American (12.7%), and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.7%). In addition, smoking among males is more common than among females, with males under the age of 18 having a 30-day smoking prevalence of 17.1% compared to 13.7% among females of the same age group.
