Smoking rates in the nation have reached a new all-time low, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The National Center for Health Statistics offered an early look at its estimates of 20 key indicators of the nation’s health based on National Health Interview Surveys completed in 2022. Approximately 27,000 adult respondents were polled on topics including healthcare coverage, behaviors, and more.
According to the poll data, one in nine American adults — about 11% — are current tobacco smokers. This number is down from the previous low of 12.5%, as recorded by the CDC in 2020 and 2021.
The number of smokers in the U.S. has been steadily declining over the decades. In 2005, nearly 21% of all adults in the U.S. were smokers. In the 1960s, 42% of adults smoked tobacco products.
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease, death, and disability in the nation, according to the CDC. The organization reports that smoking accounts for about 480,000 deaths annually.
However, electronic cigarette usage was reported as being near 6%. This number is up from about 4.5% as recorded in 2018, according to the Medical Professionals’ Reference.
The latest Dallas County Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) listed the leading causes of death in the state and in the nation as heart disease — for which obesity is a prominent risk factor — and cancer, particularly lung cancer, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Smoking is the most prevalent risk factor for lung cancer, associated with between 80% to 90% of cases, the assessment revealed.
The percentage of smokers in the DFW area has declined, aligning with the nationwide trend. Smoking rates in Dallas, Plano, and Irving dropped from 22% to 12% between 2000 to 2006. The rate has hovered near 13% since 2016.
Dean of the Colorado School of Public Health Dr. Jonathan Samet told NBC DFW that he is concerned about the rise in electronic cigarette use, despite the declining usage of regular tobacco cigarettes.
“I think that smoking will continue to ebb downwards, but whether the prevalence of nicotine addiction will drop, given the rise of electronic products, is not clear,” said Samet, according to NBC DFW.
There is often more nicotine in e-cigarettes than in regular tobacco cigarettes, Intermountain Healthcare states on its website. Nicotine addiction is associated with high blood pressure and narrowing of the arteries, making it a risk factor for heart disease.