U.S. Smoking Rate Falls to Record Low: 49.1 Million Smokers, Vaping Rate 3.2%

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report on Thursday showing that the smoking rate among American adults has dropped to 13.7%, the lowest recorded since 2018.

Since the CDC began collecting this data in 1965, this figure has decreased by about two-thirds.

Dr. Robert R. Redfield, the director of the agency, stated in a Thursday announcement: “The significant decline in the number of smokers is the result of the coordinated efforts of public health officials and many of our partners. However, our work is far from over.”

The report estimates that in 2018, 49.1 million American adults (nearly one-fifth) used any tobacco product. Cigarettes were the most common, accounting for 13.7%, followed by cigars, little cigars, and filtered cigars, which accounted for 3.9% of adults.

E-cigarettes were the third most commonly used tobacco product among adults, accounting for 3.2%. Despite a decline in previous years, their usage increased from 2.8% in 2017. This is partly attributed to the rise in e-cigarette use among young people aged 18 to 24, which increased from 5.2% in 2017 to 7.6% in 2018.

The age group most likely to use tobacco products is between 25 and 44 years old; certain minority groups, including lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults; individuals with disabilities or serious mental distress; those living in the Midwest or South; and adults with an annual income below $35,000.

The report also found that in the past 12 months, smokers were more likely to attempt to quit and had a higher success rate in quitting.