A new study reports that more Minnesota smokers are kicking the habit and at a faster pace than other smokers around the country. And that’s good news for the state.
Minnesota’s adult smoking rate is measured at a new low of 17 percent, compared to about 20 percent nationwide, according to the statewide telephone survey. The number of smokers has fallen steadily in the state since the late 1990s, with 164,000 fewer adults smoking last year than in 1999.
The survey was completed before the state banned smoking in bars and restaurants last year. And it’s likely that the ban has encouraged even more people to kick the habit.
Smoking remains legal in our nation, but more and more people are deciding that it’s not healthy for their pocketbooks or their bodies.
And while the state budget may feel the impact of less people paying the high taxes placed on cigarettes, health care providers and social services are likely paying out less for smoking-related health problems. And that, too, is good news for the state.