U.S. smoking rate still stuck at 1 in 5 adults

ATLANTA — Frustrated health officials say that U.S. smoking rates continue to hold steady, at about one in five adults lighting up regularly.

About 21 percent of U.S. adults were smokers in 2009, about the same percentage as the year before.

The smoking rate — which fell dramatically since the 1960s — has basically been flat since about 2004. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the numbers Tuesday.

Teen smoking, at nearly 20 percent, has not been improving lately, either.

Health officials believe they've lost momentum because of cuts to anti-tobacco campaigns and shrewd marketing by cigarette companies.