美國菸民人數歷史新低
The American Lung Association says fewer Americans smoke cigarettes now than before tobacco control policies were put in place.
In its annual report, the ALA says smoking rates among adults and teens are at historic lows. On average, just over 15.5 percent of American adults and eight percent of high school students smoke cigarettes.
The association gets its data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which show the smoking rate declined from 20.9 percent in 2005 to 15.5 percent in 2016. Still, CDC data shows that nearly 38 million American adults continue to smoke.
Yet, the American Lung Association finds that certain groups and regions in the United States are disproportionately impacted by tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke. Thomas Carr, the ALA's Director of National Policy who wrote the 2018 report "The State of Tobacco Control," said poorer Americans, those who are less educated, Native Americans and some ethnic groups have smoking rates that are close to 30 percent or higher.
There's also peer pressure, and when friends or parents smoke, teens tend to take up the habit. Studies show that most people who smoke start before they are 18. Some start as young as age 11 according to The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Carr calls it a pediatric disease. "It starts in your teens and then once you're hooked, you can't get off of it."
The lung association is pushing states to raise the age where young people can legally purchase cigarettes to 21, the minimum age in the United States for purchasing alcohol. The thought is that if middle and high school students can't get cigarettes, they are less likely to start smoking.
The lung association issues an annual report to help promote state and federal regulations to make it easier for people who smoke to quit and to help those who don't smoke not to start.美國肺臟協會說，自從菸草控制政策實施以來，美國的吸菸人數有所減少。
美國肺臟協會在年度報告中說，成年人和十幾歲青少年的吸菸比例都處於歷史低水平。目前美國成年人中有15.5%的人吸菸。這個比例在美國高中生中爲8%。
統計數字來自美國疾病控制與預防中心。美國成年人的吸菸率從2005年的20.9%降到2016年的15.5%。不過，美國人口中仍有3800萬成年人在吸菸。
美國肺臟協會的調查發現，美國的某些羣體和一些地區吸菸率以及受“二手菸”影響的比例高於美國的平均比例。協會國家政策部主任卡爾是2018年“菸草控制諮文”的作者。他說，相對貧困、受教育程度低的美國人，印第安原住民以及某些族裔的吸菸率高達30%，甚至更高。
朋友和父母吸菸的青少年更容易吸菸。研究顯示，大多數菸民是在18歲之前學會吸菸，有些人甚至是在11歲的時候。卡爾稱這種現象爲“兒科疾病”。他說，年輕時上了癮，以後很難擺脫。
美國肺臟協會正努力爭取美國各州把法定可吸菸年齡上調到和飲酒一樣的21歲，理由是中學和高中沒有吸菸的人以後吸菸的可能性更小。
美國肺臟協會發表年報是爲了改善聯邦和各州的政府對菸草的監管，幫助吸菸者戒菸，未吸菸者永不吸菸。
