MILWAUKEE — In the wake of a new report this week showing that sales of cigarettes statewide have fallen by more than 50% since 2001, medical experts said they see both progress and work still ahead.

“Those numbers are incredibly encouraging, not just in the magnitude of the decrease in terms of the number of packs that weren’t sold, but also how consistent that trend has been since the beginning of the 21st century,” said Dr. Doug Jorenby, director of clinical services for the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention.

Jorenby said that while each smoker’s journey to quit tobacco is different, there are free resources out there to help people in Wisconsin, including the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line, at 1-800-Quit-Now.

“There are absolutely things that vary from person to person, depending on how long they’ve been smoking and the circumstances and environments where they do smoke,” Jorenby added. “Most people who are regular, daily smokers can expect some degree of nicotine withdrawal.”

Watch the full interview above.