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NEWS
W.Va. has one of nation's highest smoking rates
HUNTINGTON -- West Virginia is again among the states with the highest smoking rates, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC released a study and a telephone survey Thursday indicating the state's high rate. West Virginia and Indiana had the highest rates, at about 26 percent, and Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee had rates about as high.
West Virginia has had a high smoking rate for years, according to Bruce W. Adkins, director of the West Virginia Division of Tobacco Prevention.
"We've got really hardcore smokers in the state. Some of them really don't want to quit," Adkins said. "It's a cultural thing and a social thing."
But, Adkins said more people have called the West Virginia Tobacco Quitline in the last year.
People call the quitline at 877-966-8784 for services such as coaching and nicotine replacement therapy, Adkins said. He said 30 to 33 percent of people who enroll for services quit.
Across the U.S., cigarette smoking rose for the first time in almost 15 years, according to the 2008 survey. A little under 21 percent of Americans were cigarette smokers -- up slightly from the year before and the first increase in adult smoking since 1994.
A few things must happen to decrease West Virginia's rate, Adkins said.
He said West Virginia has been fortunate to receive $5.65 million in state funds over the course of many years. He said the state spends about $7 million a year on tobacco prevention, though the CDC recommends spending $28 million. He also said increasing the cost of tobacco products and enacting clean indoor air regulations would help.
