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National Tobacco Control Program Fact Sheets

Data Sources and Methodologies 

CDC Office on Smoking and Health

April 2019 

The National Tobacco Control Program (NTCP) state fact sheets highlight national data. States 

often conduct state-level surveys that may be helpful to understand the full scope of tobacco use 

in a particular state. For more detailed information, please contact the state health department at 

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/stateandcommunity/tobacco_control_programs/ntcp/index.htm 

which provides a map with links to all the NCTP programs. 

Percent of Adults Currently Smoking Cigarettes

• Definition: Adult current cigarette smokers were defined as respondents who had smoked

≥100 cigarettes during their lifetime and responded "every day" or "some days" to the

question, "Do you now smoke cigarettes every day, some days, or not at all?"

• Data Year(s): 2017

• Methods: Data are rounded to the nearest tenth. For more information about methods,

please visit https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/data_documentation/index.htm.

• Source of Data: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Behavioral Risk Factor

Surveillance System (BRFSS). Available at http://www.cdc.gov/brfss/. Dataset available

at: https://chronicdata.cdc.gov/Survey-Data/Behavioral-Risk-Factor-Data-Tobacco-Use2011-to-pr/wsas-xwh5.

Percent of Youth Currently Using Any Tobacco Product

• Definition: Percent of high school students who reported using cigarettes, smokeless

tobacco, cigars, or electronic vapor products on at last 1 day during the 30 days before the

survey.

• Indicator Label: Currently used tobacco

• Data Year(s): 2017

• Methods: Data are rounded to the nearest tenth. If state data were not available, national

estimates were used instead (labeled U.S. data). For more information about

methodology, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/methods.htm.

• Source of Data: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Risk Behavior

Surveillance System (YRBSS). Available at http://www.cdc.gov/yrbs/.

Percent of Youth Currently Smoking Cigarettes

• Definition: Percent of high school students who reported smoking cigarettes on at least 1

day during the 30 days before the survey.

• Indicator Label: Currently smoked cigarettes

• Data Year(s): 2017

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• Methods: Data are rounded to the nearest tenth. If state data were not available, national 

estimates were used instead (labeled U.S. data). For more information about 

methodology, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/methods.htm. 

• Source of Data: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Risk Behavior 

Surveillance System (YRBSS). Available at http://www.cdc.gov/yrbs/. 

Smoking Attributable Deaths

• Definition: Average annual number of deaths over a specified time period based on 

diseases for which the U.S. Surgeon General has determined that cigarette smoking is a 

causal factor. 

• Data Year(s): 2005-2009 

• Methods: Average annual estimates are presented for 2005-2009 and are based deaths in 

adults aged 35 years and older from 23 diseases for which the U.S. Surgeon General has 

determined that cigarette smoking is a causal factor (SGR 2014). Smoking attributable 

deaths are estimated based on methods described by Levin (1953). Deaths attributable to 

use of other tobacco products (e.g., cigars, pipes, smokeless tobacco) are not included. 

Deaths from fires and deaths attributable to exposure to secondhand smoke also are not 

included. Total deaths are unrounded. For more information about methodology, please 

visit https://chronicdata.cdc.gov/Health-Consequences-and-Costs/Smoking-AttributableMortality-Morbidity-and-Econo/w47j-r23n. 

• Source of Data: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Best Practices for 

Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs — 2014. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for 

Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014. 

Available at https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/stateandcommunity/best_practices/. 

Healthcare Costs Due to Smoking

• Definition: Healthcare costs due to smoking, or smoking attributable expenditures 

(SAEs), are excess health care expenditures attributable to cigarette smoking, by type of 

service, among adults ages 19 years of age and older.

• Data Year(s): 2009 

• Methods: The combined annual expenditures for 2009 in the five SAE categories 

(Ambulatory, Prescription Drugs, Hospital, Nursing Home and Other) attributed to 

diseases where cigarette smoking is a primary risk factor. For more information about 

methodology, please visit https://chronicdata.cdc.gov/Health-Consequences-andCosts/Smoking-Attributable-Mortality-Morbidity-and-Econo/3kjq-j5dm. 

• Source of Data: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Best Practices for 

Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs — 2014. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for 

Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014. 

Available at https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/stateandcommunity/best_practices/. 

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National Tobacco Control Program Funding 

• Definition: Total fiscal year state funding received from CDC

• Data Year(s): FY 2018 

• Methods: In FY 2018, CDC supported comprehensive tobacco control programs in all 50 

states, the District of Columbia, 8 US territories or jurisdictions, and 12 tribal 

organizations. In addition, CDC provided funding to states and territories to ensure and 

expand state quitline capacity. Data were calculated by combining the FY2018 state 

Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF) dollars with FY2018 National Tobacco 

Control Program funding from the annual Budget Authority for total state funding in 

FY2018. For the purposes of this report, data in thousands are rounded to the nearest 

thousands. Data in millions are rounded to the nearest hundred thousand. 

• Source of Data: Office on Smoking and Health, Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. For more information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/about/osh/programfunding/index.htm 

Tips from Former Smokers (Tips®) Campaign Call Volume 

• Definition: Changes in call volume to 1-800-QUIT NOW during the Tip® campaign 

expressed as total calls during the campaign and percent increase in call volume during 

the campaign compared to an estimated baseline call volume. 

• Data Year(s): 2018 

• To assess the immediate impact of the 2018 Tip® campaign, CDC constructed 

multivariable linear regression models based on National Cancer Institute call volume 

data January 1st, 2018 – December 31st, 2018. We utilized these models to estimate an 

average weekly baseline call volume for the 24 weeks that the 2018 campaign was on air, 

from April 23rd – October 8th, 2018 for each state. The model predicted baseline can be 

interpreted as what weekly call volume would have been on average from April 23rd – 

October 8th, 2018 had the Tips® campaign not aired. The number of additional calls 

generated by the campaign was calculated by subtracting the average weekly baseline call

volume from the model’s predicted call volume based on the actual campaign 

implementation. We then divided the estimated call volume generated by the Tips® 

campaign by our predicted baseline call volume to calculate the percent increase in call 

volume. Please note that 1-800-QUIT-NOW call volume estimates represent call 

attempts, not completed calls. In addition, some state quitlines maintain and promote 

other numbers besides 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

• Source of Data: Data provided by the National Cancer Institute to the Office on Smoking 

and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Calculations performed by CDC. 

Unpublished data. 

• Notes: Preliminary data. 

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