Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

New Review Shows Many Young Californians Quit Smoking Tobacco

A new review of California's Tobacco Control Program finds young adults in the state are kicking the habit in record numbers. KPBS reporter Kenny Goldberg has the story.

New Review Shows Many Young Californians Quit Smoking Tobacco

A new review of California's Tobacco Control Program finds young adults in the state are kicking the habit in record numbers. KPBS reporter Kenny Goldberg has the story.

The UCSD study examines smoking cessation rates in the decade before the program started in 1989, and compares them with what happened during the 90’s. The study finds after the Tobacco Control Program began, smokers ages 20 to 34 increased their rate of quitting by 50 percent.

Advertisement

UCSD professor John Pierce says smoke-free policies have helped change the culture regarding smoking. 

Pierce : And that's had a huge effect in reducing the number of young people who start smoking in the first instance, and also in helping people to quit if they've already started.

Pierce says cessation rates among older smokers also went up during the 90s, but at a slower pace.

Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News.