RICHMOND, Va. -- New statistics show that the sale of tobacco to minors in the U.S. were held near all-time lows last year under a federal-state inspection program intended to curb underage usage.


A federal report issued Tuesday by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration says that the rate of retail tobacco sales to underage users nationwide has fallen from about 40 percent in 1997, to 9.1 percent in the last fiscal year.


A U.S. Surgeon General's report issued last year found that more needs to be done to prevent young Americans from using tobacco, including stricter smoking bans and higher taxes on tobacco products. According to that report, almost one in five high school-aged teens smokes. That's down from earlier decades, but the rate of decline has slowed.



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  • 5. Birmingham, AL


    <strong>Population:</strong> 213,258 <strong>Violent crime rate:</strong> 1,483 per 100,000 residents Birmingham's persistently high crime rate can be attributed to the drug trade and its high poverty rate -- 26 percent versus 17 percent for the state as a whole, according to the U.S. Census Dept. One bright spot: The crime rate is down 40 percent from its highs in the mid-1990s. <a href="http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mlj45jggj/6-atlanta/?utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=dangerous%2Bcities&partner=huffpo" target="_hplink">For the full list of America's Most Dangerous Cities go to Forbes.</a>




  • 4. Memphis, Tenn.


    <strong>Population:</strong> 652,725 <strong>Violent crime rate:</strong> 1,583 per 100,000 residents Memphis police say they suffer from a reporting problem -- as in, they report more crimes than some other cities. But Memphis also has a stubborn criminal culture: violent crimes dropped by only 68 last year, to 10,333. <a href="http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mlj45jggj/6-atlanta/?utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=dangerous%2Bcities&partner=huffpo" target="_hplink">For the full list of America's Most Dangerous Cities go to Forbes.</a>




  • 3. Oakland, Calif.


    <strong>Population:</strong> 395,317 <strong>Violent crime rate:</strong> 1,683 per 100,000 residents Oakland's high levels of poverty and proximity to drug corridors combine to generate lots of violence. The city across the Bay from San Francisco ranks first nationwide in violent robberies. <a href="http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mlj45jggj/6-atlanta/?utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=dangerous%2Bcities&partner=huffpo" target="_hplink">For the full list of America's Most Dangerous Cities go to Forbes.</a>




  • 2. St. Louis, Mo.


    <strong>Population:</strong> 320,454 <strong>Violent crime rate:</strong> 1,857 per 100,000 residents Lying directly in the path of major drug-trafficking routes, St. Louis has been plagued by murders and other violent crimes for years. The crime rate fell 4 percent last year -- and it's down 50 percent from the crack epidemic days of the early 1990s -- but St. Louis still ranked fourth in the nation for murders. <a href="http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mlj45jggj/6-atlanta/?utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=dangerous%2Bcities&partner=huffpo" target="_hplink">For the full list of America's Most Dangerous Cities go to Forbes.</a>




  • 1. Detroit, Mich.


    <strong>Population:</strong> 713,239 <strong>Violent crime rate:</strong> 2,137 per 100,000 residents The Motor City tops the list of America's Most Dangerous Cities for the fourth straight year thanks to a stubborn problem mostly with gang-related violence. Violent crimes -- murder, rape, robbery and assault -- fell 10 percent last year but are still running five times the national average. <a href="http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mlj45jggj/6-atlanta/?utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=dangerous%2Bcities&partner=huffpo" target="_hplink">For the full list of America's Most Dangerous Cities go to Forbes.</a>