Cigarette Smoking at an All-Time Low Among American Adults
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute reports that cigarette smoking has reached the lowest level ever recorded among U.S. adults.

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute reports that cigarette smoking has reached the lowest level ever recorded among U.S. adults. That noted, one of five American adults used tobacco in 2017, many turning to other types of smoked, smokeless and electronic tobacco products.
Data from the 2017 National Health Interview Survey, released in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, indicate a 67% decline in current (30-day) cigarette use in U.S. adult smokers from 1965. A notable decline in use also occurred among young adults between 2016 and 2017, as the data show 10% of young adults (ages 18 to 24) smoked cigarettes in 2017, down from 13% in 2016.
According to the study, of the 47 million American adults who currently use any tobacco products, about 9 million (19%) use two or more tobacco products, with the most common combinations being cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
From Decisions in Dentistry. December 2018;4(12):8.