U.S. Adult Smoking Rate Hits All-Time Low in 2017

Washington, D.C. – Data released today shows the smoking rate among U.S. adults reached a recorded all-time low last year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) annual National Health Interview Survey, the adult smoking rate fell from 15.8 percent in 2016 to 14 percent in 2017. CDC credits several evidence-based intervention and cessation strategies as the primary reason the adult smoking rate continues to decline.

The following is a statement from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN):

“It’s great news that the overall percentage of U.S. adults that report being cigarette smokers continues to decline. This shift away from these deadly products points to the success of proven policies like comprehensive smoke-free laws, tobacco tax increases, successful anti-tobacco multimedia campaigns, like CDC’s Tips from Former Smokers ad series, and expanded access to tobacco cessation counseling and medications.

“Still, major disparities exist among different populations and not every smoker can access evidence-based cessation treatments. Smoking rates were higher for adults reporting serious psychological distress, those who were uninsured or insured through Medicaid, adults with a GED and lesbian, gay or bisexual adults. Additionally, certain geographic disparities exist with those living in the South and Midwest reporting higher smoking rates. ACS CAN recently released a health disparities chartbook that illustrates and confirms many of these disparities.

“An estimated 47 million Americans use tobacco products and nearly 500,000 Americans will lose their life this year as a result. We must do everything possible to continue combatting the use of these deadly products, including appropriately funding tobacco prevention and cessation programs through the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH), expanding access to FDA-approved cessation medications and counseling, increasing tobacco taxes, supporting comprehensive state and local smoke-free laws and supporting mass media campaigns that make clear the dangers of all tobacco use. ACS CAN will continue to support federal and state public policies, as well as regulatory approaches, that increase access to intervention and cessation strategies that encourage all tobacco users to quit and discourage tobacco uptake in the first place.”

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