Investors looking for high-yield dividend-paying stocks have likely come across British American Tobacco (NYSE: BTI) and its 9.5% yield. However, a high yield does not necessarily mean the stock is a good investment.

Let's take a closer look at the tobacco company, the safety of its dividend, and whether the stock is a buy, sell, or hold.

Cigarette smoking has been on the decline, especially in the U.S., for many years. Last year, the Centers for Disease Control released data that only 1-in-9 adults (11%) in the U.S. now smoke, an all-time low, down from 42% of adults in the mid-1960s.

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Source Fool.com