Taxes, Ads Credited With Drop in Smokers
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Federal health officials say an ad campaign that includes a teen smoker’s flesh rotting contributed to a 21% drop in Arizona’s smoking rate during the late 1990s.
Telephone surveys found that the number of adult Arizonans who smoke dropped from 23.1% in 1996 to 18.3% in 1999, the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
Smoking rates fell across age, race and gender lines.
The CDC also attributed the drop to higher cigarette taxes. In 1994, Arizona voters raised the tax from 18 to 58 cents per pack. About one-quarter of the money goes to smoking cessation programs.
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