American Cancer Society Releases First-ever Us Tobacco Atlas

The American Cancer Society (ACS) announced nan inaugural merchandise of The U.S. Tobacco Atlas, a fact-based, integer technological assets offering broad information and insights connected baccy use, power policies, and their effect nationwide. The study notes that cigaret smoking among U.S. adults dropped from 42% successful 1965 to 11% successful 2023.

Researchers besides discovered that only 18.1% of eligible adults who presently fume aliases formerly smoked were up-to-date pinch lung crab screening successful 2022, contempt cigaret smoking being a starring consequence facet for lung cancer. Screening rates are lowest successful Southern states successful nan U.S., wherever lung crab load and healthcare entree issues are greatest.

The U.S. Tobacco Atlas is simply a powerful instrumentality showcasing not only nan toll that baccy has taken connected nan U.S., but besides nan immense advancement nationalist wellness gains person made complete nan past decades."

Dr. Nigar Nargis, Report Lead Editor and Senior Scientific Director, Tobacco Control Research, American Cancer Society

Dr. Nargis added, "Since nan landmark 1964 U.S. Surgeon General's study connected tobacco, millions of lives person been saved by baccy control, but nan standard of nan pandemic demands our continued attraction and support."

Created by ACS, the U.S. Tobacco Atlas maps baccy usage and power efforts astatine nan nationalist and authorities levels successful nan U.S. and summarizes and translates technological grounds into accessible information. The contented is organized into 4 main sections: Tobacco Use, Disparities, Health & Economic Impact, and Tobacco Control Policy Advances. It tin beryllium utilized by nationalist wellness professionals, researchers, advocates, policymakers, and students to floor plan nan load and alleviation strategies for baccy use, facilitating a deeper exploration. 

"The U.S. Tobacco Atlas is much than a report-it is simply a telephone to action. It reminds america that advancement is possible, but not inevitable. It requires bold leadership, equitable policies, and unwavering committedness from each assemblage of society," said Dr. William Dahut, main technological serviceman astatine nan American Cancer Society. "Together, we tin accelerate nan extremity of nan baccy pandemic and move person to a world wherever nary 1 has crab because of tobacco."

Additional highlights from nan study include:

• Despite progress, tobacco usage remains nan starring preventable origin of crab decease successful nan US, pinch complete 80% of lung crab deaths attributed to tobacco.
• The national discontinue smoking ratio reached a record 62% successful 2022, though older adults (45+) have little discontinue attempts and occurrence rates, and a greater wellness risk. Also, nan usage of baccy cessation aids is low, particularly successful nan South and Midwest.
• Secondhand fume vulnerability has declined, though it remains precocious successful rental and nationalist housing, and children and nan elderly are particularly vulnerable.

• Smokeless tobacco use rates are debased overall, but concentrated successful definite states (e.g., Wyoming, West Virginia).

• E-cigarettes are rising successful popularity, particularly successful states pinch precocious cigaret use; 33% of group who usage tobacco also usage some cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
• Despite declines, 1.63 cardinal youth reported utilizing e-cigarettes successful 2024, with 90% preferring flavored products.

• Non-White individuals, people pinch disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with lower income and constricted education face higher tobacco-related burdens. 

"While we person made important strides successful reducing smoking prevalence and expanding entree to evidence-based cessation resources, we stay profoundly concerned astir persistent disparities successful baccy usage and tobacco-related disease," said Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, elder technological vice president, surveillance, prevention, and wellness work investigation astatine nan American Cancer Society and elder writer of nan report. "These disparities are peculiarly pronounced successful states pinch anemic baccy power policies and among populations pinch little socioeconomic status, and wrong communities historically targeted by nan baccy industry. This study brings these inequities into crisp attraction and underscores nan urgent request for strengthening authorities and national baccy power policies, arsenic good arsenic targeted interventions."

"For decades, we person made singular advancement successful reducing baccy use-the starring preventable origin of decease and illness successful nan United States. Yet today, that advancement is nether threat," said Lisa A. Lacasse, president of nan American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). "Let this Atlas animate policymakers to recommit to a bold vision: a early wherever baccy nary longer claims lives, deepens inequities, aliases burdens our economy. Together, we tin decorativeness what we started-and extremity nan baccy pandemic erstwhile and for all."

ACS lung crab screening guidelines, updated successful 2023, urge yearly screening for adults 50-80 years of property who fume aliases utilized to fume and person a 20-year aliases greater pack-year smoking history, sloppy of discontinue date. A pack-year is adjacent to smoking 1 battalion (or astir 20 cigarettes) per time for a year.