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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, 2004
November 11, 2005 / Vol. 54 / No. 44
MMWR Highlights
- In 2004, 44.5 million adults (20.9%) in the United States were
current smokers—23.4% of men and 18.5% of women.
- Among racial and ethnic groups, smoking prevalence was highest among
American Indians/Alaska Natives (33.4%) and lowest among
Hispanics (15%) and Asians (11.3%).
- Among income groups, smoking prevalence was higher among adults
living below the poverty level (29.1%) than those at or above the
poverty level (20.6%).
- Smoking prevalence was highest among those aged 18–24 (23.6
percent) and 25–44 (23.8%) and lowest among those aged 65 and
older (8.8%).
- Among current adult smokers, 36.1 million (81.3%) smoked
every day, and 8.3 million (18.7%) smoked some days.
- An estimated 45.6 million adults were former smokers in 2004,
representing 50.6% of those who had ever smoked.
- An estimated 14.6 million (40.5%) adult smokers had stopped
smoking for at least 1 day during the preceding 12 months because they
were trying to quit.
- While from 1993 to 2004, the proportion of heavy smokers and the
overall number of cigarettes smoked among daily smokers declined, the
percent of daily smokers who smoked 1–4 cigarettes and 5–14 cigarettes
per day increased.
- By education level, adults who had earned a General Educational
Development (GED) diploma (39.6%) and those with a grade 9–11
education (34%) had the highest prevalence of smoking; those with
master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees had the lowest prevalence
(8%).
- The steady decline in smoking prevalence has been observed
nationally, but in some segments of the population smoking prevalence
remains high highlighting the need for expanded interventions that can
better reach persons of low socio–economic status and populations living
in poverty.
- 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