One in five Americans smokes cigarettes. Percentage steady since 2005.

[techs]

http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/Smoking/22068

Adult Smoking Hits Plateau

One in five U.S. adults continues to smoke cigarettes -- a percentage that hasn't budged since 2005 -- suggesting that more aggressive efforts are needed to reduce smoking-related diseases and deaths, the CDC said.

Data from the 2009 National Health Interview Survey and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) indicated that 20.6% of Americans 18 and older reported being current smokers, according to an early-release report in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

In 2005, smoking prevalence stood at 20.9% -- not significantly different from the 2009 figure or the rate for any year in between, according to the MMWR.

"There has been no progress in reducing that number in five years," said Thomas Frieden, MD, director of CDC, in a conference call with reporters.

Frieden said shrewd marketing by tobacco companies and stagnation in anti-smoking efforts have combined to stall a 40-year decline in smoking prevalence that began in 1964.




I dunno. It seems like far less than that, at least from what I see.

 

[mwtgg]

News Flash: People are going to do as they please, consequences be damned.

 

[ussfletcher]

I dunno. It seems like far less than that, at least from what I see.

I dunno, seems like more than that on any college campus.

 

[Lifted]

What percentage pay $12/pack?

Time to stop. Again.

 

[Malak]

News Flash: People are going to do as they please, consequences be damned.

So I guess laws are pointless, we should burn the constitution, and governments will be no more. Because people will do as they please.

Why is it so hard for people to actually care about life?

 

[Regs]

In America there would be no point, but if I were a factory worker in China making 50 cents an hour, I would be smoking 10 packs a day.

 

[Amused]

So I guess laws are pointless, we should burn the constitution, and governments will be no more. Because people will do as they please.

Why is it so hard for people to actually care about life?

Why is it so hard for people to leave others be? Who appointed you their nanny?

Victimless crime laws ARE pointless.

The Constitution has nothing to do with victimless crime laws. Burning it would actually increase this kind of nonsense.

Why should governments protect individuals from themselves? Maybe we should all be forced into padded rooms?

 

[mwtgg]

So I guess laws are pointless, we should burn the constitution, and governments will be no more. Because people will do as they please.

Why is it so hard for people to actually care about life?

Holy fallacy! Not only that, but you clearly misrepresented what I said.

Last I checked smoking is not against the law. People know that smoking is bad for them, yet they do it anyway. It's quite apparent that no level of "awareness" is going to change people from engaging in a lawful activity.

It's not my responsibility to regulate others' (self-harming) behavior.

 

[shortylickens]

Actually thats not bad at all. Back in the middle of the last century damn near every adult smoked. Women didnt do it in public, and probably lied about it, be we now know that most of them did smoke when alone.

 

[zerocool84]

So I guess laws are pointless, we should burn the constitution, and governments will be no more. Because people will do as they please.

Why is it so hard for people to actually care about life?

Have you ever had a sip of something with caffeine in it or had anything with alcohol in it? Of course it's not the same thing right?

 

[Malak]

Victimless crime laws ARE pointless.

Your entire argument failed right there. Hundreds of thousands dead and there are no victims? REALLY? There is no legitimate argument against smoking so don't even try. A company is legally able to kill hundreds of thousands of people and the only reason anyone can justify it is because the people volunteer? Completely irrational and ridiculous.

 

[suse920]

So I guess laws are pointless, we should burn the constitution, and governments will be no more. Because people will do as they please.

Why is it so hard for people to actually care about life?

Because part of life is actually enjoying it.
I'm not saying people should smoke, but people also should not drink beer, eat fatty foods, watch too much tv, etc, etc......

If everyone's priority in life was to live the longest amount of time possible, there wouldn't be much of a point to living.

Also im fairly sure our founding fathers did not create our legal infrastructure with the objective of depriving men of their liberties.

 

[MJinZ]

Why is it so hard for people to leave others be? Who appointed you their nanny?

Victimless crime laws ARE pointless.

The Constitution has nothing to do with victimless crime laws. Burning it would actually increase this kind of nonsense.

Why should governments protect individuals from themselves? Maybe we should all be forced into padded rooms?

I am happy to allow you to smoke, as long as you disclose this information to your insurance company and are forced to pay 10, nay, 100x the premium to cover your own lung cancer.

Thank you.

 

[suse920]

Your entire argument failed right there. Hundreds of thousands dead and there are no victims? REALLY? There is no legitimate argument against smoking so don't even try. A company is legally able to kill hundreds of thousands of people and the only reason anyone can justify it is because the people volunteer? Completely irrational and ridiculous.

People volunteer to drink booze, to eat fatty foods, to sit their fat asses on a couch and watch tv, among countless other unhealthy things.

Should we get rid of all the companies supplying people with unhealthy products?
No thats ludicrous, people are free to make their own choices.

Although i do agree with regulating how these companies are able to advertise their products.

 

[Amused]

Your entire argument failed right there. Hundreds of thousands dead and there are no victims? REALLY? There is no legitimate argument against smoking so don't even try. A company is legally able to kill hundreds of thousands of people and the only reason anyone can justify it is because the people volunteer? Completely irrational and ridiculous.

No one alive today started smoking without knowing the heath risks. No one.

No company forced anyone to smoke. Not one.

There are no victims in smoking, or drug abuse, or any other kind of self abuse. Sorry. I know you feel the need to be some kind of moral superhero running around saving everyone from themselves (or the "big evil tobacco companies"), but you're gonna fail, miserably.

It is NOT irrational to let people do as they please, so long as they harm no one else but themselves. What IS irrational is trying to do what prohibition and the war and drugs tried to do. What IS irrational is making the same mistake over and over and over again, and expecting diferent results.

 

[Amused]

I am happy to allow you to smoke, as long as you disclose this information to your insurance company and are forced to pay 10, nay, 100x the premium to cover your own lung cancer.

Thank you.

Insurance companies are already free to charge smokers more. Moot point.

 

[suse920]

I am happy to allow you to smoke, as long as you disclose this information to your insurance company and are forced to pay 10, nay, 100x the premium to cover your own lung cancer.

Thank you.

There should be a mandatory DNA test when being insured.
High chance of heart attack 200% increase
High chance of cancer 300% increase
BMI over average 400% increase
Living in a highly polluted area 500% increase .....
I think you just revolutionized health care!

 

[xSauronx]

I dunno, seems like more than that on any college campus.

or pretty much anywhere here in NC. *Shrug*

 

[MJinZ]

Insurance companies are already free to charge smokers more. Moot point.

Maybe, but it should be federal law that any regular check up with doctor exam revealing a smoking habit would be forced to be reported to the insurance company and instantly multiply your premium by (10) at minimum.

That should be federal standard. Then maybe the insurance companies will stop charging healthy minded people so much and make the ones prone to killing themselves actually pay for it.

A "points" system like with Car Insurance. Except you get 100 points for smoking. :twisted:

 

[MJinZ]

There should be a mandatory DNA test when being insured.
High chance of heart attack 200% increase
High chance of cancer 300% increase
BMI over average 400% increase
Living in a highly polluted area 500% increase .....
I think you just revolutionized health care!

Yes, of course we all choose our DNA, because secretly, us humans are actually GODS.

I think you are a fucking retard! Now back the fuck away from your computer before you hurt yourself.

 

[Amused]

Maybe, but it should be federal law that any regular check up with doctor exam revealing a smoking habit would be forced to be reported to the insurance company and instantly multiply your premium by (10) at minimum.

That should be federal standard. Then maybe the insurance companies will stop charging healthy minded people so much and make the ones prone to killing themselves actually pay for it.

A "points" system like with Car Insurance. Except you get 100 points for smoking. :twisted:

Why should a federal law mandate anything? Why not CHOOSE an insurance company that charges smokers more. Vote with your wallet instead of demanding big brother placate your morals?

 

[lxskllr]

Maybe, but it should be federal law that any regular check up with doctor exam revealing a smoking habit would be forced to be reported to the insurance company and instantly multiply your premium by (10) at minimum.

That should be federal standard. Then maybe the insurance companies will stop charging healthy minded people so much and make the ones prone to killing themselves actually pay for it.

A "points" system like with Car Insurance. Except you get 100 points for smoking. :twisted:

Smokers cost less over the long term than non smokers. I think you mean they should be given a 1000% discount ;^)

 

[mwtgg]

Maybe, but it should be federal law that any regular check up with doctor exam revealing a smoking habit would be forced to be reported to the insurance company and instantly multiply your premium by (10) at minimum.

That should be federal standard. Then maybe the insurance companies will stop charging healthy minded people so much and make the ones prone to killing themselves actually pay for it.

A "points" system like with Car Insurance. Except you get 100 points for smoking. :twisted:

Did the Marlboro Man touch you when you were a child?

 

[Zebo]

So? Why do you care?

 

[Amused]

Yes, of course we all choose our DNA, because secretly, us humans are actually GODS.

I think you are a fucking retard! Now back the fuck away from your computer before you hurt yourself.

A risk is a risk. You can get angry at him all you want, but why shouldn't an insurance company treat all risks according to the odds, and the odds alone?