U.S. adults continue to swap smoke for clouds. Rates of cigarette use among over 18 Americans dropped to a new low last year, as just about one in nine adults now identify as smokers, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s compared to more than one in eight in 2018 and more than one in seven in 2019.
The popularity of smoking has been generally on the decline for decades, since its peak in the 1960s. But the new rate signifies a historic drop in cigarette use. An estimated 11.1% of people in the U.S. now smoke, according to the most recent CDC stats. Sixty years ago, more than 40% did. As preliminary rates, the exact numbers are liable to change, but the trend remains clear. Cigarettes have lost their cool.
The new numbers come as part of the CDC’s National Health Interview Survey, which covers everything from dental visits to medication use to work sick days. The agency collected questionnaire responses from 27,654 adults across demographic groups in 2022. And, at least after an initial assessment, the smoking portion of the survey has yielded mostly good news for Americans’ health, with one big caveat.
Though smoking rates appear to have fallen off, vape use is climbing. 6% of surveyed U.S. adults reported using electronic cigarettes in 2022—that’s more than one in 17 people, up from around one in 23 in 2019. Among youth, vaping is even more popular. About 14% of high schoolers (and more than 3% of middle schoolers) reported using e-cigs in 2022, despite the passage of a 2019 federal law that raised the age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21.... Read More: Gizmodo
