America Still Smoking Up a Storm: CDC

The smoking rate in the United States has stalled after 40 years of steady declines, according to a report by the CDC. The Los Angeles Times reports that 1 in 5 people are regular smokers, a figure that has remained constant for the last 5 years. The CDC says more than 50% of children are exposed to secondhand smoke and that 98% of people who live with a smoker show increased levels of toxicity in their bloodstream.

"If you smoke and have children, don't kid yourself," says CDC director Thomas Frieden. "Your smoke is harming your children." Frieden says smoking is still the primary cause of most preventable deaths in America. If all states had aggressive anti-smoking programs, 5 million fewer people would be lighting up, he said.
(More CDC stories.)