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Smoking Decreases in U.S. Households

A recent survey regarding smoking in the average American home produced some interesting results. It was found that three out of four households ban smoking indoors altogether. This was a marked decrease in smoking from statistics taken a decade ago. A state-by-state study was conducted by the government run Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and tracked the smoking habits of Americans. It was shown that ten years ago, when the study was first conducted, only 43% of American homes barred smoking indoors.

The state that cared the least about having smokers indoors was Kentucky. Only half of those surveyed said that they minded having a smoker in their home. The state that was most stringent about its smoking habits was Utah, with every nine households out of ten banning smoking in their houses altogether. It is felt that the large Mormon population in the state contributed to the high anti-tobacco and smoking sentiments.

Every two years the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention run the same survey, where anything between 900 and 7,000 households are questioned in each state. Household members (everyone over the age of 15) are asked ? over the telephone ? about their preferences and smoking habits. It is felt that the growing understanding that even second-hand smoking can lead to chronic and fatal diseases has led more and more Americans to ban smoking in their homes. In addition, a growing number of public places, such as restaurants and bars, also do not allow smoking ? making it more acceptable for people to light up outside.