ATLANTA, Safar 02, 1437, November 14, 2015, SPA -- The percentage of adult cigarette smokers in the United States has reached an all-time low, UPI reported today. Declining from 20.9 percent in 2005 to 16.8 percent in 2014, the number of U.S. adults who have turned away from tobacco may be a direct result of emphasized interventions such as media campaigns, new laws and accessible quitting assistance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report. Adults between the ages of 18 and 24 experienced the most significant decrease in cigarette consumption, the CDC said, although dwindling numbers may be due to increased interest in alternative smoking methods. The use of e-cigarettes and hookahs is assumed to have an impact in young adults' smoking habits, according to the report. In terms of health insurance, there were higher rates of smokers among those insured by Medicaid only (29.1 percent) and those without insurance (27.9 percent). The percentage of smokers with private health insurance or Medicare was far less, at 12.9 percent and 12.5 percent respectively. "Smoking kills half a million Americans each year and costs more than $300 billion," said CDC Director Tom Frieden in a statement Thursday. "This report shows real progress helping American smokers quit and that more progress is possible." --SPA 01:26 LOCAL TIME 22:26 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w