Smoking is at a record low in the U.S.. By Karen Kaplan.

In 1965, when the National Center for Health Statistics began tracking tobacco use, 42% of U.S. adults were cigarette smokers. By 2017, that figure had declined to 14%. …

In the U.S., life expectancy is at least 10 years lower for smokers than for nonsmokers, and smoking is responsible for roughly 20% of deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The U.S. surgeon general says smoking can be blamed for more than 80% of deaths due to lung cancer (the deadliest type of cancer in the U.S.) and about 80% of deaths due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (the country’s third-leading cause of death). Smokers also face increased risks of heart disease, stroke, asthma, diabetes, and at least 10 other kinds of cancer.