NY Smoking Rate Hits New Low as US Smoking Rises
by MEREDITH TRAINA | wpix.com

November 14, 2009
NEW YORK (WPIX)—
New Yorkers who consider themselves smokers have hit an all-time low, despite an increase in the number of smokers nationwide.

Only 16.8 percent of New York state residents say they smoked in 2008, a Health Department spokeswoman said Friday. That's the state's lowest adult smoking rate on record!

Last year's state smoking rate was 18.9 percent.

Officials suspect the decrease is due to last year's state cigarette tax hike, laws against indoor smoking and a campaign to stop smoking.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just under 21 percent of Americans currently smoke cigarettes. That's up slightly from the 19.8 percent who say they smoked the year before.