Smoking Headed for Extinction in U.S. by 2050, Report Says

Cigarette use in a number of developing countries may fall to zero in the next three decades as smokers quit or switch to alternative products, according to a new report.

Smoking will disappear by 2050 from the U.S., parts of Europe, Australia and large chunks of Latin America if the declining trend seen in the last decades continues, Adam Spielman, analyst at Citigroup Inc., wrote in a note published Tuesday.

The analysis shows how important it is for Big Tobacco to arm itself with competitive cigarette alternatives. The industry has been undergoing some of the biggest changes in its ...