Colorado Adult and Youth Smoking Rates Lowest Since 1990
September 24, 2007—Denver—Governor
Bill Ritter today announced significant reductions in the
smoking rates among youth and adults in Colorado. Colorado’s
2006 adult smoking rate puts Colorado in the nation’s top
ten for lowest smoking prevalence. And, among Colorado high
school youth, the state has surpassed the national 2010 goal
of a smoking rate lower than 16 percent. “The willingness
of individuals to take responsibility for their own health
and well-being plays a significant role in building a
healthy state and a sustainable health care system,” said
Gov. Ritter. “I believe that the only way to achieve
comprehensive health reform is through shared
responsibility. Everyone – individuals, families, employers,
health care providers, government and insurers – must be a
part of the solution and must have a stake in the success of
the outcome. “That starts with individuals taking charge
of their own health,” said Gov. Ritter. “The data being
released today shows this not only is a possibility, but a
reality here in Colorado.” Colorado now ranks 9th in the
nation for the lowest prevalence of adult smoking, up from a
ranking of 14th in 2005. The adult smoking rate dropped from
22.3 percent in 2001, to 17.9 percent in 2006. Colorado’s
17.9 percent smoking rate, surpassed the national average in
2006 of 20.1 percent. The 17.9 percent rate is the lowest
rate for Colorado since at least 1990. [See table below
for historical data on adult smoking rates in the U.S. and
Colorado.] Among high school students, cigarette smoking
declined from 18.2 percent in 2001 to 14.6 percent in 2006,
thus surpassing the Center for Disease Control’s Healthy
People 2010 goal of 16 percent. These successes can be
directly attributed to the funding provided by Amendment 35,
the 2004 voter-approved increase in the tobacco tax that
funds the state’s work in tobacco education. This funding is
administered by the State Tobacco Education and Prevention
Partnership, housed within the Colorado Department of Public
Health and Environment, which provides comprehensive
programs to reduce youth smoking rates, assist adults who
want to quit, reduce the exposure to secondhand smoke and to
work with populations disparately affected by tobacco.
According to the department, tobacco use is the number one
risk factor for chronic diseases such as heart disease,
cancer, stroke and lung disease. Tobacco is the leading
cause of early death and disability and is a leading cause
of chronic disease. “Reducing smoking among Coloradans is
a primary strategy for reducing chronic disease because
quitting by the age of 30 eliminates nearly all excess risk
associated with smoking,” said Colorado Chief Medical
Officer Ned Calonge. “And, smokers who quit
before the age of 50, cut in half their risk of dying in the
next 15 years.” The department reports that approximately
16,000 Coloradans die each year from cancer, heart disease,
stroke and chronic lower respiratory disease. An estimated
one-quarter of these deaths were due to smoking. Annual
health care costs in Colorado, which are attributable to
smoking, are estimated at $1.3 billion by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
One program of the Department of Public Health and
Environment that helps adults quit smoking is the Colorado
QuitLine, a free telephone-based service, which offers a
free supply of the nicotine patch and personalized
assistance from an experienced quit coach. The QuitLine
number is 1-800-QUIT-NOW. In addition to helping adults,
the department has an extensive outreach program to prevent
youth and adolescents from ever starting smoking, such as a
school-based curriculum in middle schools, high schools and
colleges as well as a partnership with a number of the Tony
Grampsas non-profit organizations, which reach out to
high-risk youth.
|
Trend Data,
Colorado and US |
|
Adult Cigarette
Smoking Rates |
|
|
|
Current Cig--overall
(BRFSS) |
|
|
|
|
|
YEAR |
CO |
US |
|
1990 |
21.3% |
23.0% |
|
1991 |
23.7% |
23.1% |
|
1992 |
23.1% |
22.2% |
|
1993 |
23.8% |
22.6% |
|
1994 |
24.2% |
22.7% |
|
1995 |
21.8% |
22.4% |
|
1996 |
22.8% |
23.4% |
|
1997 |
22.5% |
23.2% |
|
1998 |
23.0% |
22.9% |
|
1999 |
22.5% |
22.6% |
|
2000 |
20.0% |
23.2% |
|
2001 |
22.3% |
22.8% |
|
2002 |
20.4% |
22.5% |
|
2003 |
18.6% |
21.6% |
|
2004 |
20.0% |
20.9% |
|
2005 |
19.8% |
20.6% |
|
2006 |
17.9% |
20.1% |
|
|
|
|
|
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey Data.
Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006. |
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