Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults—United States, 2005–2015

November 11, 2016 / Vol. 65 / 44

MMWR Introduction

CDC assessed the most recent national estimates of smoking prevalence among adults aged ≥18 years using data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey. The proportion of US adults who smoke cigarettes declined from 20.9% in 2005 to 15.1% in 2014, and the proportion of daily smokers declined from 16.9% to 11.4%. In 2015, prevalence of cigarette smoking was higher among adults who were male; aged 25-44 years; were American Indian/Alaska Native; had a general education development certificate (GED); lived below the federal poverty level; lived in the Midwest; were insured through Medicaid or were uninsured; had a disability or limitation; were lesbian, gay, or bisexual; or who had serious psychological distress.

Sustained comprehensive state tobacco control programs funded at CDC-recommended levels could accelerate progress in reducing adult smoking prevalence and smoking-related disease, death, and economic costs. However, during 2016, despite combined revenue of $25.8 billion from settlement payments and tobacco taxes for all states, state spending on tobacco control programs is projected to be $468 million (1.8% of revenues) , representing <15% of the CDC-recommended level of funding for all states combined. Implementation of comprehensive tobacco control interventions can result in substantial reductions in tobacco-related disease and death and billions of dollars in savings from averted medical costs. In particular, the health care system offers important opportunities to reduce smoking, especially for vulnerable populations, by implementing system changes to make tobacco dependence treatment a standard of care and by working with health insurers to cover evidence-based cessation treatments with minimal barriers and to promote their use.