Health Officials Hope CDC Smoking Stats Encourage Missourians To Butt Out

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate Missouri is among the leading states in the nation in terms of tobacco use. And, officials at the State Health Department want to use those statistics to encourage Missourians to either quit the habit or never start in the first place. Janet Wilson, Chief of the Department’s Health Promotion Unit, says increased tobacco taxes might help cut down on the number of people lighting up. CDC figures list three states with the highest rates of adult smoking: Kentucky at 30.8 percent, West Virginia at 27.4 percent, followed by Missouri at 27.3 percent.