Health

How to Break a National Habit

The demise of America’s cigarette addiction has been greatly exaggerated.

By Kenneth E. Warner and Harold A. Pollack

Fifty years ago, the smoking rate in the United States began a long and steady decline, which has rightly been hailed as a profound health advance. But by declaring a “successful” campaign against cigarettes—and the devastation they have wrought—we are celebrating victory with the enemy still among us.

About the Authors

Kenneth Warner is a professor of public health at the University of Michigan.
Harold A. Pollack is a professor of social-service administration at the University of Chicago and a fellow at the Century Foundation. He is the author, with Helaine Olen, of The Index Card: Why Personal Finance Doesn't Have to Be Complicated.