American cigarette smoking hits single digits for first time ever, study finds

The percentage of American adults who smoke has fallen to the lowest level ever recorded, according to a new study.

About 9.9% of U.S. adults reported smoking in 2024, down from 10.8% in 2023, according to an analysis of National Health Interview Survey data published Tuesday in the journal NEJM Evidence.

The findings show that the U.S. adult smoking rate has fallen into single digits for the first time; It’s a milestone public health officials have been tracking for decades. This decline indicates that the United States is moving closer to the Healthy People 2030 goal, the national public health goal of reducing the adult smoking rate to 6.1%.

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Ph.D., an Atlanta-based public health researcher and professor. “If this decline continues, the target could be reached or exceeded by 2030,” researchers led by Israel Agaku wrote in the paper.

However, this milestone does not mean that tobacco use has disappeared. According to researchers, approximately 25.2 million adults still smoke cigarettes, the most widely used tobacco product in the United States; Approximately 47.7 million adults, or 18.8% of the population, use at least one tobacco product, including cigarettes, cigars or e-cigarettes.

The study analyzed responses from more than 29,500 adults in 2023 and 32,600 adults in 2024 who participated in the National Health Interview Survey, a nationally representative household survey and the most current national data on adult tobacco use.

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The decline in cigarette consumption has led to a decline in overall combustible tobacco use, including cigarettes and cigars. According to the study, approximately 12.6% of adults were using combustible tobacco in 2024; This rate was 13.5% compared to the previous year.

Use of other tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, remained largely unchanged. (iStock)

But the prevalence of other tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and cigars, did not change significantly between 2023 and 2024, according to the study.

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“No change in cigar and e-cigarette use requires intensive implementation of comprehensive tobacco control policies covering all products,” the researchers wrote.

The study also revealed that tobacco use is not evenly distributed throughout society.

Tobacco use was higher among certain occupational groups, including adults working in agriculture, construction and manufacturing. (iStock)

According to the study, men reported using tobacco significantly more than women; Just over 24% of men used at least one tobacco product, compared to about 14% of women.

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Tobacco use was also higher in certain demographic and occupational groups, particularly among adults in industries such as agriculture, construction and manufacturing.

It was reported that the highest tobacco use, at 42.8%, was among people with a General Education Development certificate, as well as those living in rural areas, low-income individuals and people with disabilities.

Young adults were more likely to use e-cigarettes than traditional cigarettes. About 15% of adults ages 18 to 24 report using e-cigarettes, compared to 3.4% of smokers, according to the study.

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Some experts state that the findings reflect changes in nicotine use rather than the disappearance of addiction.

Young adults are more likely to use e-cigarettes than traditional cigarettes, according to the study. (iStock)

John Puls, a psychotherapist and addiction specialist who runs Whole Life Comprehensive Care in Boca Raton, Florida, said the continued trend away from smoking, but continued use of tobacco and e-cigarettes, reflects what he sees in patients.

“Many of my patients use e-cigarettes and various e-cigarette products,” Puls, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “It’s easier to conceal, can be used almost anywhere, and delivers a much stronger dose of nicotine.”

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On the other hand, he added, smoking is “more socially unacceptable than ever before.” “I work with many patients who are addicted to nicotine, and the vast majority have never smoked.”

Public health officials emphasize that no tobacco product is considered safe. (iStock)

Puls said this pattern is especially common among adolescents and young adults and is concerning because cigarettes typically deliver about 1 to 2 milligrams of nicotine, while some e-cigarette products can contain 20 to 60 milligrams.

“There is also a perception that e-cigarettes are a safer form of smoking, which contributes to reduced cigarette consumption,” Puls said. he added.

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Health officials emphasize that no tobacco product, including e-cigarettes, is safe, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The agency says smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States and is responsible for about one in three cancer deaths.

Public health officials say smoking cessation support, anti-smoking laws and tobacco taxes are important tools to reduce smoking rates. (iStock)

Overall, sustainable public health measures, including anti-smoking laws, tobacco taxes and access to smoking cessation support, are critical to further reduce tobacco use, the researchers noted.

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The study had several limitations, including changes in how smokeless tobacco was defined across survey years, reliance on self-reported data, and less reliable estimates for some smaller subgroups.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Agaku for comment.