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 www http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns

Adult Smoking in 

the US

Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease, disability, and death 

in the US. Some people who smoke every day 

are smoking fewer cigarettes; however, even 

occasional smoking causes harm. The percentage 

of American adults who smoke decreased from 

20.9% in 2005 to 19.3% in 2010. That translates 

to 3 million fewer smokers than there would 

have been with no decline. But almost 1 in 5 adults 

still smoke. Reducing tobacco use is a winnable 

battle—a public health priority with known, 

effective actions for success. A combination of 

smoke-free laws, cigarette price increases, access 

to proven quitting treatments and services, and 

hard-hitting media campaigns reduces health 

care costs and saves lives.

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Smokers are smoking less. 

Among adult daily smokers, 

the percentage who smoke 

30 or more cigarettes per 

day dropped from 13% in 

2005 to 8% in 2010.

Half of adults who continue 

to smoke will die from 

smoking-related causes.

1 in 5

Nearly 1 in 5 adults (45.3 

million) smokes. Among all 

adults, smoking declined 

from 20.9% in 2005 to 19.3% 

in 2010.

8%

50%

September 2011

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion 

Office on Smoking and Health
Problem

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443,000 Americans die of 

smoking or exposure to 

secondhand smoke each year.

Millions of people still smoke. 

◊ For every smoking-related death, another 20 

people suffer with a smoking-related disease.

◊ In 2010, 19.3% of adults (or 45.3 million) 

smoked cigarettes, compared with 20.9% of 

adults in 2005. 

◊ Smoking costs the US about $96 billion each 

year in direct medical costs and $97 billion from 

productivity losses due to premature death. 

There is no safe level of smoking.

◊ Each cigarette you smoke damages your 

lungs, your blood vessels, and cells 

throughout your body.

◊ Even occasional smoking is harmful, 

and the best option for any smoker is to 

quit completely.

◊ The more years you smoke, the more you 

damage your body. Quitting at any age 

has benefits.

◊ A majority of Americans who have ever 

smoked have already quit; you can too.

Why is it so hard to quit smoking?

◊ Nicotine is a highly addictive drug. Addiction 

keeps people smoking even when they want 

to quit.

◊ Cigarettes deliver more nicotine more 

quickly now than ever before. 

◊ The tobacco industry spends about $9.94 

billion each year, or $27 million every day, 

on cigarette advertising and promotion—72% 

of these dollars are spent on discounts to 

offset tobacco taxation and other tobacco 

control policies. 

What’s the most effective way to quit 

smoking?

◊ Different ways work for different people. 

Many smokers have to try multiple times 

before they’re able to quit for good. It is 

important to keep trying until you succeed; 

each time you learn something that will help 

you quit for good.

◊ While you’re trying to quit, nicotine and 

non-nicotine containing medications can 

help lessen the urge to smoke. Talk to your 

health care provider for help.

◊ Individual, group, or telephone counseling 

can double your likelihood of success. 

A combination of medication and counseling 

is more effective than medication or 

counseling alone.

◊ Smokers can receive free resources and 

assistance to help them quit by calling 

1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) or 

visiting www.smokefree.gov.

The more states invest in comprehensive 

tobacco control programs, the greater 

the reductions in smoking—and the 

longer they invest, the greater and faster 

the impact.

◊ California’s adult smoking rate has dropped 

nearly 50% and the number of cigarettes 

smoked per person has decreased by 67% 

since the state began the nation’s longestrunning tobacco control program in 1988.

◊ California saved $86 billion in health care 

costs by spending $1.8 billion on tobacco 

control, a 50:1 return on investment over

its first 15 years of funding its tobacco 

control program.
Who’s 

at Risk?

3

AL

AZ

AR

CA CO

CT

FL

GA

IL IN

IA

KS

KY

LA

ME

MI

MN

MS

MO

NE

NH

NY

NC

ND

OH

OK

OR

PA

SC

SD

TN

TX

UT

VT

VA

D.C.

WA

WV

WI ID

MT

NV

NM

WY HI

AK

RI

MA

NJ

DE

MD

American 

Indian/Alaska 

Native

(Non-Hispanic)

31.4%

Hispanic

12.5%

Asian

(Non-Hispanic) 

White 9.2%

(Non-Hispanic)

21.0%

Black

(Non-Hispanic) 

20.6%

Multiple race

(Non-Hispanic)

25.9%

High school graduate 23.8%

Some college 23.2%

Less than high school 25.1%

GED 45.2%

Undergraduate degree 9.9%

Associate degree 18.8%

Postgraduate degree 6.3%

29%

18%

Below

Poverty Level

At or Above

Poverty Level

US State Info

US Adult Smoking Statistics

Adult Smoking Prevalence by State

Percent of adults who smoke by sex

Percent of adults who smoke 

by racial/ethnic group

Percent of adults who smoke 

by education level

Percent of adults who smoke by poverty level

22.0–26.8%

19.0–21.9%

16.0–18.9%

13.0–15.9%

9.1–12.9%

SOURCE: National Health Interview Survey, 2010

SOURCE: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance 

System, 2010

Education estimates are among individuals ≥25 years of age.

Men

22%

17%

Women
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For more information, please contact 

Telephone: 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)

TTY: 1-888-232-6348

E-mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov

Web: www.cdc.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333

Publication date: 09/06/2011

What Can Be Done

Tobacco users can

◊ Quit. The sooner you quit, the sooner your 

body can begin to heal, and the less likely you 

are to get sick from tobacco use.

◊ Ask a health care provider for help quitting 

and call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for free assistance.

◊ Find a step-by-step quit guide at 

www.smokefree.gov. 

State and community leaders can

◊ Fund comprehensive tobacco control programs 

at CDC-recommended levels.

◊ Enact 100% smoke-free indoor air policies that 

include workplaces, restaurants, and bars. 

◊ Increase the price of all tobacco products. 

◊ Implement hard-hitting media campaigns 

that raise public awareness of the dangers of 

tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure.

◊ Use the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) 

MPOWER strategies to prevent and reduce 

tobacco use and to make tobacco products less 

accessible, affordable, attractive, and accepted.

M Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies

P Protect people from tobacco smoke

O Offer help to quit

W Warn about the dangers of tobacco use

E Enforce restrictions on tobacco advertising

R Raise taxes on tobacco

Parents and nonsmokers can

◊ Make your home and vehicles smoke-free. 

◊ Not start, if you aren’t already using tobacco.

◊ Quit if you smoke; children of parents who 

smoke are twice as likely to become smokers.

◊ Teach children about the health risks of 

smoking and secondhand smoke.

◊ Encourage friends, family, and coworkers 

to quit.

Health care providers can

◊ Ask their patients if they use tobacco; if they 

do, help them quit.

◊ Refer patients interested in quitting to 

1-800-QUIT-NOW, www.smokefree.gov, or 

other resources.

◊ Advise all patients to make their homes and 

vehicles 100% smoke-free.

◊ Advise nonsmokers to avoid secondhand 

smoke exposure.

Employers can

◊ Establish a policy banning the use of any 

tobacco product indoors or outdoors on 

company property by anyone at any time.

◊ Provide all employees and their dependents 

with health insurance that covers support for 

quitting with little or no co-payment.

Retailers can 

◊ Learn the new Food and Drug Administration 

(FDA) restrictions on youth access to tobacco 

products and tobacco marketing to youth, and 

closely follow them.

◊ Never sell any tobacco product to customers 

younger than 18 years of age (or 19 in states 

with a higher minimum age requirement).

◊ Check the photo ID of any customer trying to 

buy tobacco products who appears to be 26 

years of age or younger.

CS225726B

Here’s What Works

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