| Fewer American adults are smoking cigarettes than ever, according to the US Centers for Disease Control.
But the reduction of smoking in the Mountain State has remained stagnant in recent years, the state still has one of the highest smoking rates in the US.
Calhoun has been ranked among the highest in the state with 30-35% still smoking, the national rate is at 18%.
In the US, the rate of cigarette smoking has dropped from about 21 percent in 2005 to 18 percent in 2013.
"We still have a long way to go, and if we don't bend the curve down faster, over 5.5 million kids who are alive today will die prematurely from tobacco-related disease," said Dr. Tim McAfee, director of the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health.
"Smoking has a major impact on people's lives," McAfee said. "If you're a smoker you're at risk of dying 11 to 12 years earlier than if you are not a smoker," he said.
Although cigarette smoking is at a 50-year low, in some groups the proportion of smokers is higher than the average.
"Leading the pack, cigarette use is highest among those below the poverty level at almost 30 percent, compared to 17.8 percent in the general population," he said.
Other groups that continue to smoke at higher than average levels are the less educated, American Indians/Alaska Natives, men, people who live in the South or Midwest, people who have a disability, people with mental health issues, those who abuse drugs or alcohol.
McAfee said effective strategies that reduce smoking include increasing the cost of cigarettes, increasing taxes on cigarettes and passing more smoke-free laws. In addition, education, anti-smoking media campaigns and providing better access to tobacco cessation programs are essential, he said.
The bulk of the burden to cut smoking falls on states, but they spend less than 2 percent (about $500 million) of the $25 billion they get from tobacco taxes and the tobacco settlement on anti-smoking programs.
In WV, most of the tobacco settlement money has been shifted to other line-item expenses.
See ADULT SMOKING RATE IN CALHOUN AMONG STATES HIGHEST AT 30-35% - Calhoun Near Highest With Pregnant Women Smoking
And CALHOUN AND REGIONAL COUNTIES RANK HIGH WITH SMOKING - WV Decline In Tobacco Use Stagnant For Two Decades | 
