By Matt Sepic, KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Missouri is experiencing a rise in casual smoking.
Jim McDonald with the Missouri Department of Health says that means some smokers are cutting back without quitting completely.
"They would be the kind of people who like to smoke when they drink, or like to smoke when they're in certain social situations," he said.
Researchers say the number of self-defined occasional smokers has grown more than eight percent between 1997 and 2001.
Some states have seen overall smoking rates decline in recent years, though Missouri has not.