If you're a smoker, scientists think you're mentally ill, poor or both. That's according to a new CDC study that finds smoking among U.S. adults continues to decline, except in low-income areas and among people with mental health problems.
SCIENTISTS FIND NEW SMOKING TREND AMONG NATIVE AMERICANS
Among whites and blacks, 25% still smoke. Among Asians, 1/10 use cigarettes. However, among American Indians, smoking rates have increased by nearly 2 percent. The CDC has collected data from 180,000 people and the scientists think they see a trend. They believe that poor groups, minorities and the mentally ill are using more cigarettes. In addition, tobacco stores tend to be located in poorer parts of cities, which has a significant effect on this data.
SCIENTISTS SAY HIGH PRICES SUPPORT SMOKING
Scientists have also found that higher tobacco prices lead to lower consumption among adults. But that still doesn't explain the increase in consumption among Native Americans. This is because new government laws on tobacco products do not apply to American Indian nations. Even though the overall rate is down, there are still negative facts among people living in low-income areas.
ONE SCIENTIFIC STUDY IS NOT ENOUGH TO STOP SMOKING
Studies like this one come out fairly regularly, yet people still struggle with the addiction. According to the CDC, smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease. In addition, it causes more than 480,000 premature deaths each year. In addition, cigarettes have a number of harmful side effects. Discarded cigarette butts do not break down and non-smokers are exposed to the dangers of second-hand smoke. The popularity of e-cigarettes is beginning to change that, but they too contain harmful chemicals. As with many things in America, money controls the law. The tobacco industry makes millions of dollars every month, and that profit is far too big to worry about. Still, it is encouraging that tobacco control efforts have had some impact on the nation's addictive qualities.