Minnesota Survey: Smoking Drop Sharpest Among Young Adults

ST. PAUL (AP) - A new survey shows that smoking rates among Minnesota's 18-24 population has plunged since 2010.

The Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey, released Thursday by ClearWay Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Health, shows an overall drop in adult smoking. Only 14.4 percent of participants said they smoke, down from 16.1 percent in 2010.

Smoking among adults age 18 to 24 plummeted from 21.8 percent in 2010 to 15.3 percent in 2014, marking the first time in the survey's 15-year history that younger adults weren't the most likely to smoke. According to the survey, that distinction now belongs to adults age 25 to 44.

The survey also found that 44 percent of smokers tried to quit in response to a 2013 state tax increase of $1.60 per pack of cigarettes.