sample="quota" bates="2044927694" isource="pm" decade="1980" class="ui" date="19870916" HGA File INDUSTRY COMMENTS SEPTEMBER 16, 1987 Rate of consumption is declining at approximately 2%. The federal survey published by the Centers for Disease Control appears to significantly overstate the industry decline. Reasoning: Given their incidence numbers of 30.4% of adults in 1985 versus 26.5% in 1986 -- this would indicate a consumption decline in excess of 10%. Industry volume is running at a much stronger rate than that. We feel incidence is closer to 1 in 3 adults than to 26.5%. Why did the NCHS Study report 26.5%? We believe that their method of data collection must contain some systematic error which is understating adult smoking incidence.