I also wonder if the number of smokers has actually declined or just the amount of people who admit that they do.
Its way down.
Back when I was a kid in the late 60s & 70s everywhere you looked you saw people smoke.
Smoking was cool. I smoked.
Now, its nowhere near that common.
There are a whole lot of people who smoke but wont admit it.
I see it first hand in town (Vegas) when I go in to the casinos.
I have heard first hand many times people saying things like “Don’t tell so and so I smoke, when I am in Vegas and at home I do it.. but I don’t want this or that person to know”
Many many people lie about smoking.. some of my friends smoke but say they would never admit it to anyone but other smokers.