Will the decline in smoking rates necessitate a bailout of Big Tobacco? Many states have become dependent on the monies flowing in from the tobacco settlement fund. What will happen when the cigarette manufacturers can't make their payments to the states. How will states that borrowed against the funds in form of bonds make their debt payments? I see an situation developing where, under the current standards, a bailout is inevitable and desirable. A domino effect of non-payment would spiral out of control- we can't let this happen.
US smoking rate is under 20 percent for first time
About 19.8 percent of U.S. adults -- 43.4 million people -- were smokers in 2007. That was a percentage point below the 2006 figure and followed three years of little progress, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report.
Half of all long-term smokers, especially those who start as teens, die prematurely, many in middle age.
