West Virginia and Kentucky, where smoking is a tradition, have the highest death rate due to smoking and related illnesses, new federal study has founded.

Ten states have been identified, which have the highest average annual smoking death rates these include Indiana, Missouri, Nevada, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Oklahoma.

Utah and Hawaii were at the bottom, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.

The death rate because of smoking related health problem was 371 and 344 out of 100,000 adults aged above 35, in Kentucky and West Virginia, respectively.

That number was nearly one-and-a-half times higher than the figure provided by the official media i.e. 263 per 100,000. This figure was nearly three folds to than the death rates in Utah, which are 138 per 100,000.

The researchers compile results by calculating the death certificates from 2000 to 2004, focusing on lung cancer and other 18 diseases, which are known to cause by smoking.

The rate of smoking in adults was tracked very closely to avoid any discrepancy. According to the stats of 2004 Kentucky was still on top in death smoking.

“Except smoking, heart diseases are also trigger by so many factors such as obesity, smoking only add fuel to fire.” said Terry Pechacek, a senior scientist of CDC.

For every state, the annual number of smoking deaths was higher among males than females. However, rates declined in men in 49 states since the late 1990s, but declined in women in only 32 states.

In each state, annual smoking death rate was higher in males than females. But since 90s decline in death rate has been seen in 49 states but decline in women death in only 32 states.