The number of Arizona adults who smoke is at an all-time low. According to a recent Centers for Disease Control report, 15.3 percent of Arizonans are smokers, down nearly 1 percent from 2014.
Courtney Ward with the Arizona Department of Health Services attributes this decrease to more resources for those looking to quit as well as anti-smoking campaigns aimed at teenagers.
“So we’re trending downward with our teen rates as well but that’s something that’s always a concern for us because as adults quit we still have this brand new market of impressionable youth who could pick up the habit as well," Ward said.
Ninety percent of smokers who start before the age of 18 are lifelong smokers. Ward said preventing teenagers from beginning the habit is just as important as providing free counselors and nicotine substitutes to those attempting to quit.
