ATLANTA – The smoking rate of U.S. adults continues its slide down, with the number of adults currently smoking at 14.9%, according to new government data from January to June of 2015, CNN reports. That’s less than a report from last week indicating 16.8% of adults lit up last year. Overall, it’s the lowest number of smokers since the government began conducting this survey in 1997 when 24.7% of U.S. adults smoked.

The data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics showed that more men than women smoke, with younger people more likely to smoke than older ones. For example, 16.3% of those between the ages of 18 and 44 and 16.7% of those between the ages of 45 and 64 smoked. For race, blacks, non-Hispanics and whites (17%) were more likely to smoke than Hispanics (9.7%).

The CDC credits smoking bans, higher taxes and cost of cigarettes, educational campaigns and improved ways to stop smoking with lowering the smoking rate. “They work to reduce the enormous health and financial burden of tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure among Americans,” said Brian King with the agency’s office on smoking and health.

Health officials want the percentage of individuals who smoke to be 12% or less within five years. In September, CVS claimed credit for helping to lower the smoking rate by its decision to pull cigarettes from its shelves.