Cigarette smoking among adults - United States, 2004. ; State-specific prevalence of cigarette smoking and quitting among adults - United States, 2004 (2005)

One of the national health objectives for 2010 is to reduce the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults to <=12% (objective no. 27-1a). To assess progress toward this objective, CDC analyzed self-reported data from the 2004 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) sample adult core questionnaire. This report describes the results of that analysis, which indicated that, in 2004, approximately 20.9% of U.S. adults were current smokers. This prevalence is lower than the 21.6% prevalence among U.S. adults in 2003 and is significantly lower than the 22.5% prevalence among adults in 2002. The prevalence of heavy smoking (>=25 cigarettes per day) has also declined during the past 11 years, from 19.1% of smokers in 1993 to 12.1% of smokers in 2004. Tobacco-use prevention and control measures appear to be decreasing both the prevalence of cigarette smoking and the proportion of heavy smokers, who are at high risk for tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. However, to further decrease smoking prevalence among adults and to meet the national health objective, effective comprehensive tobacco-control programs that address both initiation and cessation of smoking should be fully implemented in every state and territory. // After stagnating in the early 1990s, cigarette smoking prevalence among adults in the United States declined during the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 2002, for the first time, more than half of those who had ever smoked had quit smoking. To assess the prevalence of current and never cigarette smoking and the proportion of ever smokers who had quit smoking, CDC analyzed state/area data from the 2004 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which indicated substantial variation in current cigarette smoking prevalence among 49 states, the District of Columbia (DC), Puerto Rico (PR), and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) (range: 9.5%-27.6%). In 44 states, DC, PR, and USVI, the majority of persons had never smoked. In 34 states, PR, and USVI, more than 50% of ever smokers had quit smoking. Effective, comprehensive tobacco-use prevention and control programs should be continued and expanded to further reduce initiation among young persons and to ensure that smokers have access to effective smoking-cessation services, including proactive telephone quitline counseling.