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US Cigarette Smoking Rate Hits New All-Time Low

April 28, 2023

Cigarette smoking in the U.S. has dropped to an all-time low according to government survey data released on Thursday.

In 2022, the National Center for Health Statistics surveyed 27,000 adults age 18 and over and asked questions about their health.

Only 1 in 9 adults said they were current smokers (11.2%).

In comparison, about 42% of U.S. adults were smokers in the 1960s. Between 2001 and 2003, an average of 35% of U.S. adults said they smoked cigarettes.

The rate has been gradually dropping for decades, reaching an all-time low in 2022.

However, e-cigarette use rose to nearly 6% last year, from about 4.5% the year before.

Only about 2% of high school students were smoking traditional cigarettes last year, but about 14% were using e-cigarettes, according to other CDC data.

**Current smokers are defined as people who reported smoking at least 100 cigarettes during their lifetime and who, at the time they participated in a survey about this topic, reported smoking every day or some days.**