There is a good news for all Americans. According to a study that was released last week, residents of California have chosen to lessen their smoking. This was based from the study released by the California Department of Public Health. Thu study shows that there are now only 13.1 percent of California residents who smoke last year, as compared t o the national percentage of 20.6 percent.

Because of this, California currently ranks second in the lowest numbers of smokers, just behind Utah. The decrease in number of smokers may be due to a culture that has been more conscious of their health and the goodness of the environment. According to the state officials, this is a sign of a successful strategy in demonizing smoking.

The year 1988 was remembered as the year when California pushed cigarette taxes, where a part of the collected funds was used in financing anti-tobacco campaign. After, the state began establishing bans on smoking in public places. This was first instituted on buses and planes and later on in indoor workplaces and bars as well.

California health development also helped by advertising media campaigns, which included anti-smoking advertisements. Colleen Stevens, the chief of the state’s Tobacco Control Media Campaign said, “In California, we are very proud of our leading role in this revolution in how people view smoking. “People are coming to the realization that smoking is not part of a healthy lifestyle.”

Since 1988, there has been a decrease in the smoking rate in California, which has dropped from 22.7 percent to its new level. Critics, however, said that the prohibition of public smoking is simply making smoking illegal. On the other hand, health officials said that this was done to help lower smoking rates and to watch public health.