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Smoking in Arizona is continuing to decline. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said smoking in the state has dropped to a historic low of 14 percent. Arizona Health Services Department Director Cara Christ said her department puts a lot of time, energy and resources into trying to keep people from smoking.

“Tobacco control is one of the state’s highest health priorities, because of the health impacts that it has,” Christ said. “It impacts the state’s cancer rates. It impacts heart disease. It impacts cardiovascular disease, and stroke.”

This latest decrease adds to up to 200,000 Arizona adults who have quit smoking in the last five years, Christ said. She credits the Arizona Smoker’s Hotline, which provides resources for quitting the habit, as well as youth smoking prevention education.