Quitting Smoking Can Result in Lower Healthcare Costs

Millions of Americans have quit smoking in recent years, providing themselves with lower health insurance costs and longer life spans.

However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced that the rate of adult smokers who quit appears to be leveling off somewhat.

The CDC noted that in 2008, there were about 46 million adult smokers in the United States, and that about 45.3 percent of them had attempted to quit for at least one day over the previous year.

The agency noted that between 1998 and 2008, the percentage of adults in the U.S. who smoked fell from 24.1 percent to 20.6 percent, a decline of 3.5 percentage points. The group also called for more programs that reduce smoking to be targeted at Americans at lower education levels who are considered statistically less likely to quit.

Many states have raised taxes considerably on cigarettes in recent years to reduce smoking, while also paying for various programs and other revenue needs. The price increases appeared to have led at least some smokers to quit, boosting public health in the process.