American adults are smoking less
NEW YORK — Smoking in the United States fell to a record low last year, with 1 in 9 adults saying they are current smokers, according to government survey data released Thursday. Meanwhile, e-cigarette use has increased to around 1 in 17 adults.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s preliminary results are based on survey responses from more than 27,000 adults.
Smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer, heart disease and stroke, and it has long been considered the leading cause of preventable death.
In the mid-1960s, 42% of American adults were smokers. The rate has been falling steadily for decades, due to taxes on cigarettes, rising prices of tobacco products, smoking bans and changes in the social acceptability of lighting up in public.
Last year, the percentage of adult smokers fell to around 11%, from around 12.5% in 2020 and 2021. Survey results are sometimes revised after further analysis, and the CDC is expected to release the results soon. 2021 final data.
E-cigarette use jumped to almost 6% last year from around 4.5% the previous year, according to survey data.
The rise in e-cigarette use worries Dr. Jonathan Samet, dean of the Colorado School of Public Health. According to the American Heart Association, nicotine addiction has its own health consequences, including the risk of high blood pressure and narrowing of the arteries.
“I think smoking will continue to decline, but it’s not clear whether the prevalence of nicotine addiction will decline, given the rise of electronics,” said Samet, who contributed to the reports of the Surgeon General of the United States on smoking and health for nearly four decades.
Smoking and vaping rates are nearly reversed among teens. Only about 2% of high school students smoked traditional cigarettes last year, but about 14% used e-cigarettes, according to other CDC data.
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