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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office on Smoking and Health
Tel: 1-800-CDC-INFO
(1-800-232-4636)
TTY: 1-888-232-6348
E-mail: tobaccoinfo@cdc.gov
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Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWRs)
Cigarette Smoking Among Adults—United States, 2002
May 28, 2004 / Vol. 53 / No. 20
MMWR Highlights
- In 2002, 45.8 million adults (22.5%) in the United States were
current smokers—25.2% of men and 20% of women.
- Among racial and ethnic groups, smoking prevalence was highest among American
Indians/Alaska Natives (40.8%) and lowest among Hispanics (16.7%)
and Asians (13.3%).
- Among income groups, smoking prevalence was higher among adults living
below the poverty level (32.9%) than those at or above the poverty
level (22.2%).
- Smoking prevalence was highest among those aged 18–24 (28.5%) and
25–44 (25.7%) and lowest among those aged 65 and older (9.3%).
- Among current adult smokers, 37.5 million (81.8%) smoked every
day, and 8.3 million (18.2%) smoked some days.
- An estimated 46 million adults were former smokers in 2002, representing
50.1% of those who had ever smoked. For the first time, more adults
have quit than are still smoking.
- An estimated 15.4 million (41.2%) adult smokers had stopped smoking
for at least 1 day during the preceding 12 months because they were trying
to quit.
- By education level, adults who had earned a General Educational Development
(GED) diploma (42.3%) and those with a grade 9–11 education (34.1%)
had the highest prevalence of smoking; those with master’s, professional,
and doctoral degrees had the lowest prevalence (7.2%).
- Disparities in smoking prevalence by socioeconomic status have not narrowed
and may have widened during 1983-2002, highlighting the need for expanded
interventions that can better reach persons with low socioeconomic status.
- From 1983 to 2002, the gap in smoking prevalence between those living
below the poverty line and those living at or above it increased from 8.7
percentage points to 10.7 percentage points.
- The gap between these two poverty status groups in percent of ever smokers
who have quit increased from 18.7 percentage points in 1983 to 20 percentage
points in 2002.
- The gap in smoking prevalence between adults who had graduated from college
and those with less than a high school education increased from 14 percentage
points in 1983 to 18.2 percentage points in 2002.
- The percent of ever smokers who had quit during 1983–2002 was highest
for those with college degrees and lowest for those with high school diploma
or less than high school education. The gap in percent of ever smokers who
had quit between adults with a college degree and those with less than a high
school education increased from 19 percentage points in 1983 to 25.9 percentage
points in 2002.
- Comprehensive tobacco control programs at local, state, and national levels
need to ensure that their prevention and cessation efforts reach persons with
inadequate resources and limited access to health care.
Page last reviewed 02/28/2007
Page last modified 02/28/2007