US adult smoking rate dips just under 18 percent

NEW YORK (AP) -- A government report says the smoking rate for U.S. adults dipped below 18 percent for the first time last year.<br /> <br /> That's still about the same rate found in 2012, and translates to about 42 million smokers.<br /> <br /> The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the findings Wednesday. Smoking was more common in certain groups, like the poor, less educated, and gays and bisexuals.<br /> <br /> The nation's smoking rate had stalled at around 20 to 21 percent, until it started dropping a bit a few years ago. In last year's survey, 17.8 percent of adults described themselves as smokers.<br /> <br /> Smoking is the nation's leading cause of preventable illness. It's responsible for the majority of lung cancer deaths and is a factor in heart attacks and a variety of other illnesses.

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