How far we have come in the last 50 years in smoking attitudes and actions.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review and historical trend summary without systematic review methodology or primary clinical trial data
PubMed 24575990 · doi:10.1513/AnnalsATS.201308-258PS
What was done
This paper reviews national trends in smoking prevalence, attitudes, and tobacco policy in the United States over the 50-year period following the 1964 Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health.
What was found
Between 1965 and 2011, adult smoking prevalence decreased from 51.9% to 21.6% among men and from 33.9% to 16.5% among women, with an increasing fraction of non-daily smokers. Federal cigarette taxes rose from $0.08 in 1965 to $1.01, alongside larger state-level tax increases. The proportion of workers covered by workplace smoking bans increased from 3% in 1986 to over 70% in 1999, with concurrent increases in home smoking restrictions.
Why it matters
The paper summarizes half a century of tobacco control progress, showing the substantial decline in population-level smoking that coincided with tax increases and indoor smoking bans.
Limits
The abstract provides descriptive historical summary metrics without detailing underlying survey methods, sample sizes, standard errors, or causal modeling. Disparities across subgroups and other unmeasured tobacco products are not reported.
Cited by
- supports Smoking prevalence in the US population has declined from 45% to 18% over the past 40 years.