美國的吸菸人數正在減少
In the mid-1960s, more than 40 percent of American adults smoked cigarettes, and more than half of all smokers smoked at least a pack a day, 20 cigarettes or more.
1960年代中期，美國成年人口中，吸菸者佔百分之40，其中半數以上每天至少吸一包煙，也就是20支或者更多。
In the more than four decades since, those rates have declined dramatically. And University of California San Diego researcher John Pierce says heavy smoking rates dropped more in California than in other states.
從那時起，40多年來，這兩個比率都在明顯下降。加州大學聖地亞哥分校的研究員約翰·皮爾斯說，加州老煙槍比率的下降，比其它各州都快。
"In 2007, the smoking prevalence in California was 11 percent, versus 18 percent in the rest of the country," he says. "And of that 11 percent, only 20 percent are pack-a-day smokers, versus 40 percent in the rest of the country. So that's sort of how the numbers pan out."
他說：“2007年，加州菸民在總人口中佔百分之11，當年全美國的比率是百分之18。而在加州百分之11的吸菸人口中，只有百分之20的人每天吸一包，而其它州是百分之40。”
For the new study, researchers used nationwide surveys that asked a total of 1.8 million people over the years about their smoking habits.
研究人員使用的數據，來自數年間對全國180萬人進行的有關吸菸習慣的調查。
Pierce says that after the 1964 Surgeon General's report, which warned of health risks associated with smoking, California moved more aggressively than other states to discourage smoking.
皮爾斯說，美國聯邦衛生總監1964年發表有關吸菸害處的報告後，加州比其它各州更積極地採取措施，勸止人們吸菸。
"California slapped on a big tax on cigarettes in 1967. Right from the get-go, they were aggressive in acting to disincentivize smoking."
“1967年，加州對香菸課以重稅。他們一開始就以積極行動，抑制吸菸習慣。”
Money raised by the tax, says Pierce, helped pay for other anti-smoking programs. About the same time, smoking bans started to limit the public places where people could smoke.
皮爾斯說，香菸稅用來支付其他戒菸計劃的費用。同時，禁菸規定開始限制菸民們可以噴雲吐霧的公共場所。
Pierce also shows that there are fewer heavy smokers in each new generation. Smokers typically hit their peak consumption in their 20s, and the data show that there are fewer heavy smokers among younger smokers today than in the past.
皮爾斯的研究結果同時顯示，在每一代人中，煙癮大的人數都在減少。一般來說，吸菸最多的時候是20多歲。但研究數據顯示，現在煙癮大的年輕人也比過去減少了。
The decline in heavy smoking may have had a positive effect on the health of Californians. The state's lung cancer rate, which was once higher than the rest of the country, started going down in the 1980s. "Ever since," Pierce notes, "California's been dropping dramatically. They had a 30 percent decline in lung cancer. And it's about a 30 percent difference now with the rest of the country."
煙癮大的人減少，對加州人的身體健康產生了積極影響。加州的肺癌罹患率曾經高居全國之首，但從1980年代起開始下降，下降幅度高達百分之30。
