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• American Smokers and Income, Charted 

While it was established long ago that smoking rates are higher among the poor, a Gallup survey released on Friday suggests there is a sliding scale: smoking decreases as income increases.

The poll, based on interviews with more than 75,000 Americans this year, also indicated that Americans are thoroughly worldly when it comes to lighting up -- they smoke at almost the same rate as the worldwide median. A 2006 poll concluded that 22 percent of mankind smoked; 21 percent of Americans smoke, according to today's count.

Among the huddled masses smoking outside the United Nations in Manhattan (smoking was banned indoors in 2003), Turks seem most likely to be in attendance. According to Gallup's last estimate, 50 percent of Turkey's citizens smoke, far more than any other.

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