Despite progress the United States population has made in reducing its cigarette smoking, the measure of that progress has not been equal for all groups, according to a new report from the Surgeon General. The report, released Tuesday morning, found that disparities in tobacco use persist by race and ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity, income level, education level, occupation, geography, and behavioral health status, among other factors. What's more, the report found that cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke exposure cause about half a million deaths nationwide annually, which is nearly 1 in 5 deaths.
"Tobacco use imposes a heavy toll on families across generations. Now is the time to accelerate our efforts to create a world in which zero lives are harmed by or lost to tobacco," Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said in a statement. "This report offers a vision for a tobacco-free future, focused on those who bear the greatest burden, and serves as a call to action for all people to play a role in realizing that vision.
" Cigarette smoking has dramatically declined in the U.S. since the 1960s, after a report from the Surgeon General in 1964 stated that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer and likely heart disease.
What followed were anti-smoking campaigns, a heightened public awareness of the dangers of smoking and more government regulations around tobacco use. In 1965, 42.4% of adults ages 18 and older reported being current cigarette smokers, compared to 11.
5% i.
