Smoking figures down drastically in Minnesota

Minnesota has seen a drastic decrease in the number of individuals who smoke, largely due to anti-smoking campaigns throughout the state. The campaigns have helped drop smoking rates by more than 27 percent according to new surveys.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explain that nationwide smoking rates dropped 15 percent during the same time period.

Minnesota has implemented a number of smoking bans throughout the state, including bars and restaurants, and various areas throughout the state that are non-smoking. Additionally, cigarette tax increases have drastically increased the costs of smoking for Minnesota residents since 1999.

For the survey, the CDC performed more than 7,050 telephone interviews.

The CDC also added that Minnesota implemented various campaigns and services for quitting, including phone hotlines for individuals without insurance.

Another interesting finding based on survey data, is that close to 90 percent of smokers avoid doing so inside their homes, a number that has increased more than 20 percent from 1999.

Voluntarily banning smoking inside the home is a difficult habit to adopt, but very beneficial in terms of improving overall family health, experts explain.

Overall smoking has decreased as well, as the average daily cigarette consumption decreased from over 14 per day to just over 12 per day.