Smokers in the US may have declined but the dangers to smoking stay lethal

Growing concern: Tobacco products still pose significant risks to health, and while the number of smokers in the United States has significantly declined, for every American smoker who has quit, the global rate of smoking has increased. Photo: AFP

More than 50 years after the first US surgeon general’s report on its dangers, smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the US. And almost three out of four of those in the country who still smoke say they want to quit, so they know the consequences.

The good news is that because so many did quit, smoking – at least in the US – has been in decline.