is it California reaps benefits of anti -smoking efforts ?
California’s groundbreaking anti-smoking campaign has saved 1 million lives in the past 20 years, new research shows. California celebrated the campaign’s 20th anniversary Tuesday. The state was the first to ban smoking on trains, planes, buses, public buildings, workplaces, restaurants and bars. Last year, California prohibited smoking in a car when a child is present. California’s free telephone quit line, which became a model for other states, has counseled nearly 500,000 people. Those measures have had a big impact, according to the California Department of Public Health. The state has saved $86 billion in health-care costs. The adult smoking rate has decreased from 22.7% in 1988 to 13.3% in 2008. That’s significantly lower than the national average of 19.8%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rates of six kinds of cancer are falling faster in California than in the rest of the country. Sources:
