Trends in cigarette smoking in the United States. The epidemiology of tobacco use.

Cigarette smoking, an uncommon behavior in 1900, increased at an epidemic pace throughout this century, peaking in 1964 when more than 40% of all adult Americans smoked. Since that time, smoking has decreased at a slow but steady rate, falling to about 28% of all adults or 49 million smokers by 1988. Each year, approximately 435,000 Americans, or one of every five deaths, will result from smoking. If current trends continue, 22% of Americans (43 million people) will still be smoking in the year 2000. Women, blacks, and poorly educated Americans will be smoking at a disproportionately high rate.