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Great American Smokeout
MMWR Special Issue
The November 8, 1996, issue of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention's (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) contains a
cover story, "The Great American Smokeout—November 21, 1996" and three
articles, "State-Specific Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking—United States, 1995,"
"Cigarette Smoking Before and After an Excise Tax Increase and an Antismoking
Campaign—Massachusetts, 1990-1996," and "Projected Smoking Related Deaths Among
Youth—United States."
The American Cancer Society (ACS) will celebrate its 20th
anniversary of the
Great
American Smokeout ( PDF-270K) on Thursday, November 21, 1996. This nationwide event will provide an
estimated 48 million adult smokers with the incentive to give up smoking for at least a
day. With the observed rise in smoking among youths, the ACS in recent years has expanded
its
Smokeout activities* to encourage teen
smokers to quit smoking for at least a day and to urge other teenagers to resist ever
starting to smoke. Events this year include school programs to raise teenage awareness of
the hazards of tobacco as well as the social and physical benefits of not smoking.
Thousands of middle school students across the country will "scream out" against
smoking as part of the Great American SmokeScream. Smokers interested in quitting
can get help by calling 1-800-610-2741 on Thursday, November 14 and 21.
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State-Specific Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking—United States, 1995
The first article,
State-Specific Prevalence of Cigarette
Smoking—United States,
1995 (PDF-270K), represents the first compilation of adult smoking prevalence rates
reported in compliance with the recommendation unanimously voted on by the Council of
State and Territorial Epidemiologists to add prevalence of cigarette smoking to the list
of conditions designated as reportable by states to the CDC. This study shows more than a
twofold variation in state-specific smoking rates. Other findings of the study include
- The prevalence of current cigarette smoking ranged from 13.2% in Utah to
27.8% in Kentucky. This wide variation shows there is much room for progress in reducing
tobacco use and improving tobacco control measures.
- Only Utah has achieved the national health objective for the year 2000 of
reducing the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults to no more than 15%; this
objective has been nearly met in California.
- The percentage of smokers who smoke every day ranged from 79.7% in New Jersey
to 92.9% in Oklahoma. The percentage of every-day smokers who had quit for at least one
day in the past year ranged from 32.4% in Georgia to 59.4% in Hawaii.
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The second article,
Cigarette Smoking Before and After an Excise Tax Increase and
an Antismoking
Campaign—Massachusetts, 1990-1996 (PDF-270K), shows that combining a cigarette tax hike with a statewide media
campaign markedly reduced cigarette consumption in Massachusetts. Between 1992 and 1996,
percapita cigarette consumption in Massachusetts fell more than three times as fast as in
the 48 states not having such a program. Other findings of the study include
- Between 1992, the year prior to implementation of the voters’ petition,
and 1996, percapita cigarette consumption declined 20 percent in Massachusetts compared
with 16 percent in California, the only other state with a similar ballot initiative, and
6 percent in the other 48 states and the District of Columbia.
- In the period 1990-1992 to 1993-1995, adult smoking prevalence declined at
similar rates in Massachusetts (2.2 percentage points) and California (2.7 percentage
points) and by about 0.8 percentage points for 41 other states combined (where
state-specific prevalence rates were available.)
- The decline in per-capita cigarette consumption in Massachusetts between 1992
and 1996 cannot be attributed to purchases in neighboring states, particularly New
Hampshire.
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Projected Smoking-Related Deaths Among Youth—United States
The third article,
Projected Smoking Related Deaths Among Youth--United States
(PDF-270K), estimates that unless teen smoking rates are cut immediately,
more than 5 million young people under age 18 who are alive today will die from a
smoking-related disease. These deaths could result in almost $200 billion in future health
care costs and about 64 million years of life lost for the youth of this nation. The study
also found
- More than 5 million children living today will die prematurely because of a
decision they will make as adolescents--the decision to smoke cigarettes.
- One out of three young people (32 percent) who become regular smokers will
die of a smoking-related disease.
- More than half (55 percent) of smokers continue to smoke up to one year
before their death.
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