The number of smokers in the United States has declined, according to new report

Cigarette smoking is declining among US adults according to an investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C by its acronym in English).

The report, released this week, which uses data from the National Health Survey 2015, says the percentage of over 18 who smokes is 15.1 percent below the 16.8 percent who It made in 2014.

The figure reflects a downward trend in the number of smokers in that age range and also confirms that the decline is continued since 1997, when a quarter of adults smoked. The study does not analyze whether the change may be due to the transition from conventional to electronic cigarettes.

It also says that the number of smokers is higher among men (16.7 percent) than women (13.6 percent).

America is not, compared to other countries of the continent, a country of smokers.

According to figures from the World Health Organization, following a study that does not include all countries in the world, there are places with a higher proportion of smokers. In Greece, for example, 42 percent of adults smoke. In Chile, 38 percent, 35 ciennto Cuba and Argentina 24 percent.

Kenneth E. Warner, professor of public health at the University of Michigan believes that "the trend of the last two years is significant, we have not seen anything like this in a long time".

Warner is not sure of the reason for the drop but could be a consequence of the US government campaigns against smoking in recent years. He added, "it is possible that a significant number of smokers are quitting smoking thanks to alternative sources of nicotine electronic cigarette".

The decline in cigarette consumption parallels the increased use of electronic cigarettes, designed to deliver nicotine without the tar of conventional cigarettes. That increase is mostly among teenagers.

However, it has also raised the question of security of electronic devices.

After years of debate about the risks of such cigarettes, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA for its acronym in English) issued this week a ban on sale of such devices under 18 and demanded that the under 26 must present a photo iD when buying them.

Smoking is the most common cause of preventable death in the United States and kills about 480,000 people a year.

The research uses data from interviews on issues affecting the health of Americans, including alcohol, health insurance and obesity. Defines a person as an adult smoker if this has smoked more than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and smoked at the time of the study, every day or some days.

Warner said other studies show a higher prevalence of smoking among adults and that depends on how you define who is considered a smoker. But the trend, in any case, shows the decline.

"The summary of what the numbers say is that the trend is good."