Tobacco Product Use Among Adults — United States, 2017

Introduction:
This text is a report on tobacco product use among U.S. adults in 2017, including cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and pipes. The study uses data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to estimate the prevalence of tobacco product use and provides demographic variations in use. The report also highlights the importance of full implementation of comprehensive tobacco control programs and FDA regulation of tobacco products to reduce tobacco-related disease and death in the United States.

Key Points:

* In 2017, an estimated 47.4 million U.S. adults (19.3%) currently used any tobacco product, with 86.7% (41.1 million) smoking combustible tobacco products and 19.0% (9.0 million) using two or more tobacco products.
* Cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product (14.0%; 34.3 million).
* Demographic variations in tobacco product use were observed, including differences in age, sex, race, education, income, and health insurance coverage.
* Young adults reported the highest use of emerging products such as e-cigarettes and pipes.
* E-cigarettes were commonly used among multiple tobacco product users.
* The burden of death and disease from tobacco use in the United States is caused overwhelmingly by cigarettes and other combustible products.
* Comprehensive tobacco control programs and FDA regulation of tobacco products can reduce tobacco-related disease and death in the United States.

Main Message:
The report emphasizes the importance of full implementation of comprehensive tobacco control programs and FDA regulation of tobacco products to reduce tobacco-related disease and death in the United States. Despite a decline in cigarette smoking among U.S. adults, the use of various tobacco products remains high, particularly among young adults. The report highlights the need for coordinated efforts to implement proven strategies, such as tobacco price increases and high-impact anti-tobacco mass media campaigns, while also exploring promising new strategies. Additionally, FDA regulation of tobacco products, including reducing nicotine content in cigarettes to minimally or nonaddictive levels, can help accelerate progress toward reducing tobacco-related disease and death in the United States.

Wang, Teresa W, Kat Asman, Andrea S Gentzke, Karen A Cullen, Enver Holder-Hayes, Carolyn Reyes-Guzman, Ahmed Jamal, Linda Neff, and Brian A King. “Tobacco Product Use Among Adults — United States, 2017” 67, no. 44 (2018).