Big Tobacco on Watch on Drop in US Adult Smoking Rate

Source from:  StreetInsider.com  06/19/2013

Lorillard, Philip Morris, and Altria are on watch today following new data showing fewer U.S. adults are smoking.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that about 18 percent of adults in the U.S. have described themselves as current smokers, down from 19 percent in 2011 (though that may have been a "statistical blip"). The AP noted with the recent survey that, although numbers have been generally falling over the years, there was a plateau hit at the 20 percent to 21 percent level.

With numbers stagnating, the CDC implemented a massive anti-smoking ad campaign in 2012, which it said led to an additional 200,000 calls being made to quit lines. A second wave of the campaign was implemented this year.

About 35,000 U.S. adults were polled in the recent survey. Current smokers were defined as those who have smoked 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and now smoke "everyday or on some days."

Those who have been to a restaurant, bar, movie theater, mall, or any other indoor environment have realized how much of a pain smoking is. Most states have a smoking ban in bars and restaurants, the most-likely places for people to want to light up, meaning smokers generally have to stop what they're doing and step outside to smoke. During winter in the Northern states, this can be an unpleasant experience.

Manufacturers are turning more and more to "e-cigarettes," which are deemed safer than their traditional tobacco counterparts, but have little federal regulation or research behind them. Still, the alternative, which produces water vapor as a by-product, hasn't been outlawed for indoor use and is becoming a strong choice for many. It wasn't made clear whether or not the CDC included e-cigarette smoking in the survey.

While Philip Morris is lower Tuesday, both Altria and Lorillard are positive. Enditem