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Declines in Lung Cancer Rates — California, 1988 to 1997
MMWR Highlights
- Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Cigarette smoking
is responsible for 87% of the lung cancers, and accounts for 30% of all cancer deaths.
- An estimated 164,100 new cases of lung and bronchus cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2000. Each year,
more than 156,900 men and women die from lung cancer.
- Lung cancer mortality rates are about 23 times higher for current male smokers and 13 times
higher for current female smokers compared to lifelong never-smokers.
- During 1992-1996, mortality from lung cancer declined among men, while rates among women
were increasing nationally. Since 1987, more women died from lung cancer than breast cancer.
- In California, per capita consumption of cigarettes declined from 126.6 packs per person in 1987-1988
to 61.3 packs per person in 1998-1999. Smoking prevalence among adults decreased from 22.8% in 1988 to 18.0%
in 1999.
- California’s lung and bronchus cancer incidence rates decreased by 14 percent (from 71.9 per 100,000
in 1988 to 60.1 per 100,000 in 1997), while other selected and combined U.S. regions declined by only 2.7
percent (from 67.7 per 100,000 in 1988 to 64.7 per 100,000 in 1997).
- The decline in lung and bronchus incidence rates for males in California (98.8 per 100,000 in 1988
to 74.9 per 100,000 in 1997) was 1.5 times larger than the decline in males (100.5 per 100,000 in 1988 to
84.9 per 100,000 in 1997) in other selected and combined U.S. regions.
- Among women in California, the lung and bronchus incidence rates decreased by 4.8 percent
(52.6 per 100,000 in 1988 to 49.1 per 100,000 in 1997), while there was a 13.2 percent increase (44.5 per
100,000 in 1988 to 50.1 per 100,000 in 1997) in other selected and combined U.S. regions.
- In 1988, California became the first state to pass a voter’s approved initiative, Proposition 99, to
raise tobacco taxes and dedicate a portion of the revenue for a comprehensive tobacco use prevention program.
Funding for the program started in 1990.
- Smoking rates in California have been declining more rapidly than the rest of the country since
the late 1980s. This accelerated decline started prior to funding of their tobacco prevention and education
program in 1990, which may reflect some general differences between California and
other parts of the
United
States However, it appears that California’s prevention and education program accelerated
the decline.
- California and a growing number of states (Massachusetts in 1992, Arizona in 1994, Oregon in 1996, and
Maine in 1998), have implemented statewide comprehensive tobacco control programs, which resulted in declines
in per capita cigarette consumption
or/and smoking prevalence rates among adults or teens. An effective tobacco
control program that reduces and prevents tobacco use, will reduce lung and bronchus cancers and other health
consequences attributed to tobacco use.
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