AHA: Tobacco industry blocks efforts to decrease smoking
The decline in smoking over the past five years is “encouraging news,” but more decisive action is needed to protect Americans from the health effects of tobacco, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
Statistics released recently by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that adult smoking rates in the U.S. are trending downward – from 20.9 percent to 19.3 percent from 2005 to 2010. Significant disparities remain among age, income level, education, ethnicity and geography.