Cigarette smoking among U.S. adults, 1985-1990, and smoking among selected occupational groups, 1990

Cigarette smoking rates among U.S. adults continue declining, and in 1990 dropped to an all-time low of an estimated 28 percent for men and 23 percent for women. Analysis of data from the 1990 and 1985 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention supplemental questionnaires to the National Health Interview Survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), indicate decreases in smoking rates in the majority of selected demographic categories. Between survey years, the only groups in which the rates rose were men aged 18-24, women aged 65 and over, persons with less than 12 years of schooling and adults of Hispanic origin. Increased smoking cessation efforts should be tailored to and directed at these "at risk" groups. By occupational category, close to 40 percent of men employed as handlers/laborers or transportation/material movers were current smokers versus 17 and 21 percent, respectively, of professionals and executives. Similar to the men, the lowest current smoking rates were among women professionals, technical persons and executives. For both sexes, income was generally inversely related to current smoking status.