Brent@GMATPrepNow wrote:Important: When a sentence begins with a with noun modifier (as it does in the original sentence), stop at the comma and ask the question that the modifier raises.

So, once we read, A decade after initiating the nation's most comprehensive and aggressive antismoking program, we should stop and ask . . .

"Who or what initiated the nation's most comprehensive and aggressive antismoking program?"

If the sentence is properly constructed, the part that immediately follows the comma will answer that question in a logical manner.

Reading on we get...

(A) per capita consumption ...
Makes no sense. per capita consumption can't initiate an anti-smoking program.
ELIMINATE A

(B) annual per capita consumption ...
Makes no sense. annual per capita consumption can't initiate an anti-smoking program.
ELIMINATE B

(C) California's annual per capita consumption
Makes no sense. annual per capita consumption can't initiate an anti-smoking program.
ELIMINATE C

(D) California ...
Great. California could, indeed, initiate an anti-smoking program.
KEEP D for now

(E) California ...
Great. California could, indeed, initiate an anti-smoking program.
KEEP E for now

We've narrowed it down to D or E. Let's check each one.

(D) California has seen per capita consumption of cigarettes decline from over 125 packs annually to about 60, a drop more than twice as great as that
Looks fine.

(E) California has seen annual per capita consumption of cigarettes decline from over 125 packs per person to about 60, more than twice as great as that
Redundancy issue.
per capita means the same as per person
ELIMINATE E

Answer: D

Cheers,
Brent