Number of Smokers in Arkansas Drops by 84K Since 2002

State health officials say Arkansas’ smoking rate has dropped in recent years in part because of the state’s ban on smoking in workplaces and increased awareness of the dangers of smoking.

The Arkansas Department of Health on Aug. 11 released the results of three studies showing the drop. Officials say the state had 84,000 fewer smokers in 2007 than five years earlier. Officials say that since 2002, the percentage of adults who smoked dropped from 26.3 percent to 22.4 percent.

In a special session in 2006, the state approved a ban on smoking in workplaces, including restaurants. Since then, several universities and colleges in the state have banned tobacco use on campus.