More than a million tobacco-related deaths were prevented over the past 25 years. But there is still plenty of work to do, CDC director Tom Frieden, MD, said Thursday.
After years of steady decline in the smoking rate, only 15% of U.S. residents are smokers, down from 21% just a decade ago. Smoking deaths, too, are at an all-time low.
About three in 10 cancer deaths are caused by smoking, Frieden said. And lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women.
The profile of those who still smoke changed, too.
"The pack-a-day smoker has become more and more rare," Frieden said. "What we've seen is a shift from heavier smokers to lighter smokers. We're seeing really good progress."
Another concern, he said, is the degree to which smoking-related cancers affect different populations. For example, high poverty counties and low-education counties have higher rates than others. And men and African Americans are more likely to be affected, too.
Frieden called for increased funding for cancer and tobacco programs. The most promising news, he said, is that most smokers want to quit.
"The healthcare community can do everything in its power to help them," he said.
The chart below shows how the death rate from smoking-related cancer has decreased. The map, meanwhile, shows geographic disparities in death rates from 2009-2013.
