Tobacco
The topic of Tobacco includes current use of tobacco products, initiation, cessation, secondhand
smoke, and tobacco-related policy. Tobacco use must be examined from all angles, because it is
the single most preventable cause of death and disease in the United
States.1
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Annual smoking-attributable
mortality, years of potential life lost, and economic costs-United States, 1995-1999. MMWR.
2002;51(14):300-3, downloaded on 8/6/2014 from
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5114a2.htm.
Tobacco use accounts for one of every five deaths in the United States, approximately 480,000 people
each year. Furthermore, for each person who dies from tobacco use, another 33 will suffer from a
tobacco-related illness. Tobacco use has been linked to diseases in nearly every organ. The national
economic cost in medical expenses and lost productivity is over $289 billion
annually.2
2. The Health Consequences of Smoking-50 Years of Progress: A Report of the
Surgeon General. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 2014, downloaded on 8/6/2014 from
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/50th-anniversary/index.htm.
After decades of study, much is known about tobacco use in the United States:
- In 2017, 14.0% of adults (34.3 million people) were current cigarette smokers: 15.8% of men and 12.2% of women.3
- Tobacco product use is started and established primarily during adolescence.4
- Each day, about 2,000 people younger than 18 years smoke their first cigarette.
- Each day, over 300 people younger than 18 years become daily cigarette smokers.
- In 2018, about 7 of every 100 middle school students (7.2%) and about 27 of every 100 high school students (27.1%) reported current use of a tobacco product.4
- In 2013, nearly 18 of every 100 middle school students (17.7%) and nearly half (46.0%) of high school students said they had ever tried a tobacco product.4
- Quitting tobacco use greatly decreases a person's risk for many negative health outcomes, some within a very short time after stopping.
- There is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke; even brief exposure can be damaging to health.
- Smoke-free laws are an effective approach to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke and to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use.5
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fast Facts. Smoking and
Tobacco Use. Accessed 2/22/2019 at
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast_facts/index.htm.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth and Tobacco Use. Accessed 2/22/2019 at https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/youth_data/tobacco_use/index.htm.
5. Hopkins DP, Razi S, Leeks KD, et al. Task force on community preventive services: Smoke-free policies to reduce tobacco use: A systematic review. Am J Prev Med. 2010;38(2 Suppl):S275-89, downloaded on 8/6/2014 from http://www.thecommunityguide.org/tobacco/Worksite2010Smokefree_Hopkins.pdf.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth and Tobacco Use. Accessed 2/22/2019 at https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/youth_data/tobacco_use/index.htm.
5. Hopkins DP, Razi S, Leeks KD, et al. Task force on community preventive services: Smoke-free policies to reduce tobacco use: A systematic review. Am J Prev Med. 2010;38(2 Suppl):S275-89, downloaded on 8/6/2014 from http://www.thecommunityguide.org/tobacco/Worksite2010Smokefree_Hopkins.pdf.
Everyone is susceptible to the negative consequences of tobacco use. However, some disparities exist.
Tobacco use is more prevalent among:6
- Men
- Persons aged 45-64 years
- Non-Hispanics
- Persons with low household income
- Persons with lower education level
- Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) persons
6. Agaku IT, King BA, Husten CG, et al. Tobacco product use among adults -
United States, 2012-2013. MMWR. 2014;63(25):542-7, downloaded on 8/6/2014 from
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6325a3.htm?s_cid=mm6325a3_w.
The most effective way to reduce the risk of tobacco-related illness and death is to avoid using
tobacco products. However, secondhand smoke still increases the risk of disease. Policies that ban
smoking indoors, in public locations, and in vehicles with children can help reduce the risk to
everyone.
Tobacco use is tracked using a range of surveys. Some examples include:
For more information on tracking tobacco use health objectives, please visit the Healthy People 2020 Tobacco Use objectives page.
- National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
- National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)
- National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)
- Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS)
- Monitoring the Future (MTF)
- State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation System (STATE)
For more information on tracking tobacco use health objectives, please visit the Healthy People 2020 Tobacco Use objectives page.
Current Cigarette Smoking - Adults (BRFSS)
Tobacco Use - Adolescents (YRBS)
- Lifetime Cigarette Use
- Smoked a Whole Cigarette Before Age 13 Years
- Current Cigarette Use
- Cigarette Use on School Property
- Tried to Quit Smoking
- Current Smokeless Tobacco Use
- Current Cigar Use
- Current Tobacco Use
Smoking Cessation Attempt - Adults (BRFSS)
E-Cigarette Use - Adults (BRFSS)
- Ever E-Cigarette Use - Crude Rates
- Ever E-Cigarette Use - Age-adjusted Rates
- Current E-Cigarette Use - Crude Rates
- Current E-Cigarette Use - Age-adjusted Rates
Smokeless Tobacco Use - Adults (BRFSS)
Anyone Smoked in Your Home Past 30 Days - Adults (BRFSS)
- Anyone Smoked in Your Home Past 30 Days - Crude Rates
- Anyone Smoked in Your Home Past 30 Days - Age-adjusted Rates
Smoking and Pregnancy (PRAMS)
- August 2020 Health Status Update: Tobacco Smoking Around the Time of Pregnancy, Utah PRAMS 2016-2018
- Tobacco Prevention and Control in Utah, 20th Annual Report
- Utah School Health Profiles 2018
- February 2020 Health Status Update: Vaping and the Increased Risk for Youth Nicotine Addiction
- January 2019 Breaking News: E-cigarette Use Among Pregnant Women
- Tobacco Prevention and Control in Utah, Eighteenth Annual Report
- August 2018 Community Health Spotlight: Quit Service Use Among Utah Adult Smokers, Fiscal Year 2018 (July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018)
- Utah Youth Smoking Trends
- Vape Product Experimentation and Use
- Utah Adult Smoking by Year and Age
- Utah Adult Smoking by Sex and Sexual Orientation
- Utah Adult Smoking by Local Health Department and Race/Ethnicity
- Utah Adult Smoking by Education, Income, Poverty, and Home Ownership
- Nicotine and the Developing Brain
- March 2018 Community Health Spotlight: Disparities in Tobacco Retail Density Among Utah School Districts
- January 2018 Utah Health Status Update: Utahns, Being Among the Healthiest People in the Nation - Progress Review
- Tobacco Prevention and Control in Utah, 17th Annual Report
- December 2017 Utah Health Status Update: Vaping Trends Among Utah Youth and Adults
- Utah School Health Profiles Highlights 2016
- Cigarette Smoking--Adult (from Utah State Health Assessment 2016 Report)
- Cigarette Smoking--Minor (from Utah State Health Assessment 2016 Report)
- September 2016 Utah Health Status Update: Tobacco and Alcohol Use Among Utah Youth - 2015
- Electronic Cigarette Use in Utah
- January 2016 Community Health Spotlight: Youth Use of Electronic Cigarettes Is Increasing Significantly in Most of Utah's Local Health Districts
- Tobacco Fact Sheets (December 2015)
- Utah School Health Profiles Highlights 2014
- Tobacco Prevention and Control in Utah Fifteenth Annual Report
- September 2015 Utah Health Status Update: Industry and Occupation Impact on Health
- Utah's Healthiest People Priorities Report
- January 2015 Breaking News: Nicotine Content in E-Liquid Samples, Salt Lake County Health Department, 2014