Smoking has never been more unpopular in the United States. According to data released on 27 April, only one in nine American adults reported having smoked a cigarette in 2022 – the lowest rate in history, reports AFP.

A survey of more than 27,000 Americans conducted last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that cigarette use continues to decline, reaching 11.3 per cent in 2022, down from 12.6 per cent in 2021, while e-cigarette use increased from 4.7 to 5.9 per cent. According to a CDC estimate, 30.8 million adult Americans smoked in 2020, with a rate of 14.1 per cent for men and 11 per cent for women. Smoking has been declining in the United States for several decades, in part due to government policies aimed at discouraging cigarette use, which causes cancer and cardiovascular disease. Despite the decline, cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, according to the CDC.