According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of adults who smoke cigarettes has continued to decline. In 2014, about 40 million people smoke regularly in the U.S. (or about 17%)—a 50-year low. Compare that to 1964, when nearly half of the adult population smoked.
Nevertheless, cigarette smoking is still the leading cause of preventable disease and death in America, reports Julia Belluz, contributing to roughly 480,000 early deaths each year.
