It’s something that would have seemed impossible just a few decades ago, but somehow, smoking a cigarette has become thoroughly uncool. Research out this week shows how the smoking rate in America has plummeted to a record low. Scientists studied national survey data that estimated that less than 10% of U.S. adults smoked a cigarette in 2024 — the first time this rate has ever dropped to single digits. There have been few public health victories more dramatic in recent history than the curbing of smoking. In 1964 — the same year the U.S. Surgeon General issued his report outlining the now-established dangers of smoking — 42% of adults reported smoking. Following that report and a widespread public health campaign, the smoking rate slowly but steadily declined over time. This drop has especially accelerated since the early 2000s, however, thanks largely to younger generations that avoided picking up a cigarette in the first place. The loss of smoking might be a downer for people who love their action movie clichés, but it’s undoubtedly been good for lungs everywhere.
