Smokers are becoming fewer across Washington, but the smoking rate showed a spike in Skagit County, according to 2007 numbers released by the state Department of Health.

Washington numbers dropped slightly to 16.5 percent of those surveyed smoking, down from 17 percent in 2006. Skagit, by contrast, was at 23.1 percent, compared with a national average of 19.8, the state survey showed.

Health Department spokesman Tim Church said smaller populations often show misleading changes compared to the rest of the state, and Skagit’s numbers may not represent the actual rates. The change from 2006 to 2007 was tremendous, nearly doubling from 12.9 percent. But Church said the average over the past three years, 17.9 percent, may more accurately reflect the area’s smoking population.

Skagit County Environmental Public Health Manager Corinne Story said her office receives fewer complaints about smokers in public places or near building doorways, which she said contrasts with the state’s numbers.

Since the passage of Initiative 901 in 2005, people are not allowed to smoke in buildings open to the public or within 25 feet of doors and windows.

“We have seen numbers of complaints go down, and the need for enforcement has gone off altogether,” Story said. “From the Health Department standpoint, it’s been pretty successful.”

The Health Department has tracked smoking rates since its Tobacco Prevention and Control Program was established in 2000. Through the program, smokers looking to quit can call the Tobacco Quit Line (800-QUIT-NOW) for quitting coaches and a few weeks of free nicotine replacement products such as patches or gum.

The program proved successful throughout the state, but has changed little among populations with lower incomes or lower education.

Among people making less than $25,000 per year, 32 percent are smokers. Among people with a high school diploma or less, 27 percent are smokers. Church said these numbers have remained steady since 2000.

Church said that anti-smoking campaigns are still trying to address why lower-income and lower-education populations have higher smoking rates, and how to treat them.

“It’s a problem across the country,” Church said. “These are not unique to Washington state.”

To address the problem, the state is expanding its Quit Line services for people on Medicaid. Those patients would be eligible for free nicotine replacement products and prescription medications for a longer period of time, Church said.

n Aaron Burkhalter can be reached at 360-416-2141 or aburkhalter@skagit valleyherald.com.