Percentage of young adults* who were current, former or never smokers^†, overall and by sex, race, and education

National Health Interview Surveys—United States, 1965–2006

	1965	1970	1974	1978	1980	1983	1985	1987	1990	1993	1995	1997	1999	2001	2002	2003	2004	2006
Smoking Status
Total Population
Current	45.5	38	37.8	34.4	33.3	34.2	29.3	27.1	24.5	25.8	24.8	28.7	27.9	26.9	28.5	23.9	23.6	23.9
Former	6.9	9.2	9.5	9.2	10.5	9.3	10.1	8	9.2	7.2	8.6	7.3	7.6	7.8	7.5	7.1	7.0	5.9
Never	47.6	52.8	52.7	56.4	56.2	56.5	60.6	64.9	66.0	67.0	66.6	64.0	64.5	65.4	64.0	69.0	69.4	70.2
Sex
Male
Current	54.1	44.3	42.1	36	35.4	32.9	28.1	28.2	26.6	28.8	27.9	31.8	29.5	30.4	32.4	26.4	25.6	28.5
Former	7.6	10.7	11.6	10.1	10.5	8.1	10.7	6.7	9.1	6.9	8.5	7.2	7.1	7.3	7.7	7.0	7.3	5.1
Never	38.3	45	46.3	53.9	54.1	59	61.3	65.2	64.4	64.3	63.7	61.1	63.4	62.3	60.0	66.7	67.1	66.4
Female
Current	38.1	32.7	34.1	32.9	31.4	35.5	30.4	26.2	22.5	22.9	21.8	25.7	26.3	23.4	24.6	21.5	21.5	19.3
Former	6.2	8	7.8	8.3	10.4	10.4	9.6	9.2	9.9	7.4	8.8	7.4	8.2	8.2	7.4	7.2	6.7	6.8
Never	55.7	59.3	58.2	58.7	58.2	54.1	60	64.7	67.6	69.7	69.5	66.9	65.5	68.4	68.0	71.3	71.8	74.0
Race
White
Current	45.2	37.9	37.2	34.7	33.2	36.0	31.5	29.5	28.1	29.6	28.9	33.5	32.0	31.6	32.9	28.5	27.6	28.0
Former	7.4	9.9	10.3	9.8	11.5	10.2	10.9	9.2	11.4	8.2	10.4	8.4	9.2	9.0	9.3	8.1	8.5	7.0
Never	47.4	52.2	52.5	55.6	55.3	53.8	57.6	61.4	60.6	62.2	60.7	58.2	58.8	59.4	57.8	63.4	63.9	65.0
Black
Current	48.8	39.8	43.4	31.2	37.1	31.9	25.5	21.7	15.1	13.1	11.0	16.7	18.8	15.4	20.3	14.8	15.9	22.5
Former	2.6	4.6	3.2	7.7	4.4	5.8	5.9	3.5	5.3	1.2	2.7	2.9	3.8	5.4	2.6	3.2	3.5	2.5
Never	48.6	55.6	53.4	61.1	58.4	62.3	68.6	74.8	79.6	85.7	86.3	80.4	77.4	79.3	77.0	81.9	80.6	74.9
Hispanic
Current	N/A	N/A	N/A	36.1	32.0	23.5	19.4	21.3	18.1	23.5	16.7	20.7	19.0	18.1	17.7	14.3	15.4	13.4
Former	N/A	N/A	N/A	6.3	10.0	7.0	10.2	6.8	6.2	8.2	7.4	6.9	5.2	4.8	6.4	7.6	5.9	3.9
Never	N/A	N/A	N/A	57.6	58.0	69.5	70.4	71.9	75.7	68.2	75.9	72.4	75.7	77.2	75.9	78.1	78.7	82.7
Education§
Sex
<12
Male
Current	66.6	60	52.7	46.1	51	49.1	43	43.8	37.3	38.3	36.6	48.0	40.1	43.3	43.5	39.0	39.6	41.3
Former	8	11.1	11.9	11.5	10.5	10.3	11.6	7.4	10.2	8.3	10.7	7.6	8.3	10.1	6.8	8.8	8.9	6.2
Never	25.4	29	35.4	42.4	38.5	40.6	45.4	48.8	52.4	53.4	52.7	44.4	51.6	46.6	49.6	52.1	15.1	52.5
Female
Current	43.9	40.2	40.1	39.4	40.3	45.5	43.6	37.6	33.4	33.3	26.4	34.8	34.7	26.5	33.4	28.1	26.5	26.5
Former	6.8	8.7	9.5	10.2	12.5	11.7	11.8	10.8	11.7	10.8	11.6	8.2	10.3	10.4	9.9	9.7	7.4	7.9
Never	49.3	51.1	50.4	50.4	47.2	42.8	44.6	51.6	54.9	55.9	62.1	57.0	55.0	63.1	56.7	62.3	66.1	65.6
>13
Sex
Male
Current	45.2	33.2	34.7	26.4	20.1	16.2	15.5	16.3	19.1	19.6	24.2	26.1	22.4	22.3	26.1	23.8	20.0	24.0
Former	11.1	13.9	13.9	15.1	14.7	7.1	10.9	8.4	10.3	8.0	9.7	8.7	7.4	7.3	8.9	8.1	9.2	4.7
Never	43.7	52.8	51.4	58.6	65.3	76.7	73.7	75.4	73.7	72.4	66.1	65.3	70.3	70.5	65.1	68.1	70.8	71.3
Female
Current	36.3	26.8	26.4	21.6	20	22.9	17.2	15.1	13.8	16.0	19.2	20.1	22.6	23.1	20.7	19.0	20.1	18.5
Former	8.8	12.1	6.4	8.6	8.3	9.4	9.7	10	8.5	6.0	8.1	7.5	7.8	8.9	7.7	7.2	8.3	7.9
Never	54.9	61.1	67.2	69.8	71.8	67.7	73.2	74.9	77.8	78.0	72.7	72.4	69.6	68.0	71.6	73.8	71.6	73.6
Socioeconomic status
At/Above Poverty Level
Current	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	33.8	29.3	27.3	23.9	25.7	25.4	29.8	28.3	29.0	28.0	24.2	24.3	23.9
Former	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	9.7	10.4	8.3	10.1	7.8	9.4	8.1	8.2	8.2	9.0	7.5	6.8	5.8
Never	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	56.4	60.3	64.4	66.0	66.4	65.2	62.2	63.6	62.8	63.0	68.3	68.9	70.2
Below Poverty Level
Current	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	33.8	28.7	26.9	26.4	23.8	24.4	28.9	26.6	24.9	30.5	25.9	24.0	20.9
Former	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	9.3	8.8	6.6	7.9	5.7	6.8	6.1	5.2	7.2	5.7	3.7	6.4	4.9
Never	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	56.9	62.5	66.5	65.7	70.5	68.9	65.0	68.2	68.0	63.9	70.4	69.6	69.4
Unknown
Current	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	37.9	30.0	25.1	25.9	33.2	19.7	24.6	28.0	22.6	28.4	21.9	21.5	26.1
Former	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	5.6	11.0	9.3	7.6	5.6	7.3	5.6	7.9	7.0	5.2	8.4	7.8	6.9
Never	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	56.5	59.0	65.7	66.6	61.2	72.9	69.7	64.1	70.5	66.5	69.7	70.7	67.0

Footnotes

* Persons 18–24 years old

† Current smokers reported smoking > = 100 cigarettes and currently smoked. Former smokers reported smoking > = 100 cigarettes and did not currently smoke. Never smokers reported that they had smoked < 100 cigarettes.

§ Data on education are presented for persons aged 20–24 years, because some students enter college after age 18.

Source: National Health Interview Surveys: 1965, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006.

Note: For any year, 95% confidence intervals do not exceed ±2.5% for the total population, ±4.1% for men, ±3.4% for women, ±3.5% for whites, ±7.7% for blacks, ±9.8% for Hispanics, ±6.2% for men with ≤ 12 years education, ±5.9% for women with ≤ 12 years education, ±6.0% for men with ≥ 13 years education, and ±5.5% for women with ≥13 years education, ±2.9% for persons at or above the poverty level, ±5.9% for persons below the poverty level, and ±11.81% for persons with unknown poverty level.