A new report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s showed that New York City’s smoking rate has plummeted since anti-smoking measures were adopted in 2002.

According to the findings published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) New Yorkers who quit smoking during 202-2006 period represented 19 per cent of all smokers, which the city's government put at 1,305,000 in 2002, or 21.6 per cent of the adult population. In 2006, the number of smokers dropped to 1,065,000, or 17.5 per cent.

In 2002 New York City increased the tobacco tax, eliminated smoking in virtually all workplaces, and launched hard-hitting anti-tobacco ads. Almost 10 million dollars were spent in television campaigns to fight smoking in the last five years after and a top brand pack of cigarettes now costs about 7 dollars, forcing smokers to travel outside the city to buy cigarettes.

“Hard-hitting ads work,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas R. Frieden -- “especially when they’re paired with a tobacco tax and smoke-free air legislation. With nearly a quarter of a million fewer smokers, New York City is leading the way on tobacco control. There aren’t many programs that can prevent 80,000 premature deaths this quickly.”

The research revealed that the smoking rate fell faster among women (23% decline) than among men (15% decline) and rates among young adults (ages 18-24) have declined twice as much as rates among other adult age groups

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, killing more than 400,000 people and costing the nation more than $96 billion in health care bills each year.