WHO: In 1965, 42 percent of adults aged 18 and over smoked, today 28 percent smoke. Who smokes today? According to CDC estimates, there are 47 million current cigarette smokers in the U.S. Male smokers slightly outnumber female smokers: 24.8 million men compared with 22.4 million women. Most smokers (82.4 percent) smoke every day. The portrait of a current smoker features a face far younger than the one just a decade ago. Prior to 1998, adults aged 25 to 44 were the most likely to smoke. Today, the largest share of smokers are aged 18 to 24. The racial or ethnic demographics of smoking: Native Americans still have the highest participation rates - a whopping 40 percent. Non-Hispanic whites come in second, with 25 percent. Hispanics and Asians have the lowest smoking rates. Economic status and level of education also influence the likelihood of smoking. 32 percent of people who live below the poverty line smoke, compared with 24 percent of those who are not poor. People with less than a high school education are far more likely to smoke than those who are college educated, by a margin of 37 percent to 11.3 percent. Overall, 4 in 10 current smokers wish they could stop.