Fewer Wisconsin Adults Smoke
January 7, 2019 7:00AM CST
MADISON, WI (AP)–State health officials say fewer Wisconsin adults are smoking than ever before. Statistics from the state Department of Health Services show that Wisconsin’s overall smoking rate dropped to 16 percent in 2017. That compares to 21 percent in 2011, but is still higher than the national rate of 14 percent.
The data show that low-income residents and African Americans continue to smoke at much higher rates. The numbers have decreased in recent years, but not as quickly as smoking overall in the state. Still, anti-smoking advocates say small declines add up.
For example the smoking rate among African-American residents used to be at 31 percent but has fallen to 28 percent.