The smoking rate in United States has dropped to an all time low. From 2009 to 2012, the rate dropped from 18.9% to 18.0% which was mainly caused by three reasons. First, people nowadays are more and more easily to get to know how harmful smoking is. Publications like Internet advertisements have caused an increase of attention to it. Second, it is harder and harder for people to smoke in public spaces. For example, if someone is caught smoking in a public park in New York, he or she will face a $50 dollar fine. Third, the cost of smoking is increasing. If a person smoke two packs per week, $312 would be spent on purchasing cigarettes per month.

Link to the original article:                                                      http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/25/why-smoking-rates-are-at-new-lows/?_r=1