Utahns continue to lose interest in using tobacco, according to a new study released today by the state Department of Health.

At 9.5 percent, Utah's age-adjusted adult smoking prevalence is at its lowest level since the state started to track smoking in 1989; more than 170,000 Utah adults continue to smoke and need help with quitting.

With a smoking rate of 7.4 percent, Utah's high school students (grades 9-12) are three times less likely to smoke than high school students nationwide. The smoking rate is 68 percent lower than the national rate of 23 percent, continuing a dramatic decline since 1999 — an overall decrease of 38 percent in eight years.

"Despite great progress, much remains to be done," said Dr. David N. Sundwall, health department executive director. "Nearly 190,000 youth and adult Utahns continue to smoke cigarettes, and 24,000 children are exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes."

Annually, more than 1,100 Utah adults die as a result of their own smoking, and an estimated 140 to 250 adults, children, and babies die due to secondhand smoke exposure, Sundwall noted. The Utah economy loses $530 million each year to smoking-attributable medical and productivity costs, he added.

"As long as tobacco continues to cause preventable disease and death among Utahns and to cost our health care systems millions of dollars, we must maintain our commitment to preventing children from starting to use tobacco and helping smokers quit."

Programs highlighted in this week's report include the TRUTH advertising campaign, Utah Tobacco Quit Line and Utah QuitNet, as well as school and community-based initiatives.

Utah receives between $30 million and $35 million annually from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement that requires large tobacco companies to compensate most states for health problems resulting from smoking. About $4 million of that goes to the department for the prevention and control programs in the report. The department receives an additional $3 million from cigarette taxes as well as about $2 million in matching federal funds.

Report highlights:

• 93 percent of Utah adults reported seeing any anti-tobacco ads in the past month.

• 89 percent were aware of the Utah Tobacco Quit Line.

• 69 percent reported knowing about the online quit service, Utah QuitNet.

• 55 percent of adult smokers reported that they thought about quitting after seeing The TRUTH ads.

• During fiscal year 2007, more than 12,000 Utahns registered with quit services. These services greatly increased smokers' quit success.

• Since the Utah Tobacco Quit Line began in 2001, nearly 40,000 Utahns registered for services. The Quit Line served an average of 475 Utahns per month with free counseling and detailed quit information.

• In fiscal year 2007, nearly 4,000 Quit Line callers received Nicotine Replacement Therapy such as nicotine patches and gum.

• Since 2001, more than 6,000 youth participated in Utah's court-approved teen tobacco cessation program Ending Nicotine Dependence.

• Since 2001, illegal tobacco sales to underage youth declined by 48 percent; compared to students nationwide, Utah students who smoke are six times less likely to buy cigarettes in stores.

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E-mail: jthalman@desnews.com