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The State of Aging and Health in America Report
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Healthy Aging
Healthy Aging Report
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Contact Info

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Healthy Aging Program
4770 Buford Highway, N.E., Mailstop K-45
Atlanta, GA 30341-3717

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We are not able to answer personal medical questions. Please see your health care provider concerning appropriate care, treatment, or other medical advice.
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Healthy Aging - Current Smoking

Indicator 8: Current Smoking

  • Although most older adults who were once regular smokers have quit, about 9% of adults aged 65 or older were still smoking cigarettes in 2004.
  • Postmenopausal women who smoke have lower bone density and an increased risk for hip fracture than women who never smoked.(1)
  • Even adults who have smoked for a lifetime can gain significant health benefits from quitting. For example, the risk for heart attack declines and overall lung function improves within just two weeks to three months of quitting.(2)
  • Call to action:


 

State-by-State Report Card (2004)
Current Smoking (%)

Does not include territories
Location Data C.I.* Rank† Grade‡
United States 9.3 n/a n/a n/a
Alabama 12.1 (9.9 - 14.8) 47 Lower Third (lowest performing 33%)
Alaska 12.5 (7.5 - 19.9) 48 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Arizona 7.9 (6.1 - 10.2) 11 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Arkansas 9.3 (7.6 - 11.4) 26 Middle Third (middle 33%)
California 6.3 (4.7 - 8.4) 2 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Colorado 9.7 (7.8 - 12.1) 31 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Connecticut 6.7 (5.5 - 8.2) 3 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Delaware 10.2 (7.9 - 13.0) 38 Middle Third (middle 33%)
District of Columbia 8.1 (6.0 - 11.0) 15 Upper Third (top performing 33%)
Florida 7.5 (6.2 - 9.0) 7 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Georgia 11.2 (8.8 - 14.3) 46 Lower Third (lowest performing 33%)
Hawaii§ 8.2 (6.2 - 10.7) 16 Upper Third (top performing 33%)
Idaho 7.4 (5.8 - 9.5) 6 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Illinois 9.4 (7.5 - 11.8) 29 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Indiana 10.8 (9.2 - 12.8) 43 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Iowa 8.6 (7.0 - 10.5) 19 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Kansas 9.4 (8.1 - 10.8) 29 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Kentucky 12.5 (10.5 - 14.8) 48 Lower Third (lowest performing 33%)
Louisiana 9.8 (8.3 - 11.6) 33 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Maine 6.9 (5.2 - 9.1) 4 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Maryland 10.0 (7.5 - 13.1) 36 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Massachusetts 8.0 (6.5 - 9.8) 13 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Michigan 8.5 (6.9 - 10.3) 18 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Minnesota 7.1 (5.6 - 8.9) 5 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Mississippi 10.4 (8.7 - 12.4) 42 Lower Third (lowest performing 33%)
Missouri 9.8 (7.9 - 12.0) 33 Lower Third (lowest performing 33%)
Montana 9.7 (7.8 - 12.1) 31 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Nebraska 7.8 (6.5 - 9.3) 9 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Nevada 14.5 (10.9 - 19.1) 51 Middle Third (middle 33%)
New Hampshire 9.3 (7.5 - 11.5) 26 Middle Third (middle 33%)
New Jersey 9.3 (8.2 - 10.6) 26 Middle Third (middle 33%)
New Mexico 10.2 (8.7 - 12.1) 38 Lower Third (lowest performing 33%)
New York 10.9 (9.1 - 13.2) 44 Middle Third (middle 33%)
North Carolina 10.2 (9.1 - 11.5) 38 Middle Third (middle 33%)
North Dakota 7.6 (5.8 - 10.0) 8 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Ohio 8.8 (6.5 - 11.8) 23 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Oklahoma 10.9 (9.4 - 12.5) 44 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Oregon 9.1 (7.3 - 11.2) 25 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Pennsylvania 8.0 (6.8 - 9.6) 13 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Rhode Island 8.8 (7.0 - 11.1) 23 Middle Third (middle 33%)
South Carolina 8.7 (7.3 - 10.3) 21 Lower Third (lowest performing 33%)
South Dakota 8.6 (7.2 - 10.2) 19 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Tennessee 13.3 (10.7 - 16.3) 50 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Texas 10.3 (8.5 - 12.4) 41 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Utah 4.7 (3.4 - 6.6) 1 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Vermont 7.9 (6.6 - 9.4) 11 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Virginia 8.3 (6.4 - 10.8) 17 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Washington 8.7 (7.7 - 9.8) 21 Middle Third (middle 33%)
West Virginia 10.0 (8.0 - 12.4) 36 Lower Third (lowest performing 33%)
Wisconsin 7.8 (6.0 - 9.9) 9 Middle Third (middle 33%)
Wyoming 9.8 (7.9 - 12.2) 33 Middle Third (middle 33%)
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Make comparisons
Healthy People 2010 Targets
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  Upper Third (top performing 33%) = Upper Third (top performing 33%)
  Middle Third (middle 33%) = Middle Third (middle 33%)
  Lower Third (lowest performing 33%) = Lower Third (lowest performing 33%)
     
  * A confidence interval (CI) describes the level of uncertainty of an estimate and specifies the range in which the true value is likely to fall. The State of Aging and Health in America online report uses a 95% level of significance, which means that 95% of the time, the true value falls within these boundaries.
     
  † Rankings are based on the relative numeric scores for each indicator, with a ranking of "1" indicating the highest rank.
     
  ‡ Grades are calculated as tertiles (thirds) and show state performance relative to all other states.
     
  § 2003 data are used for Hawaii because no 2004 data exist.
     
    Note: When comparing prevalence of variables across states or years, we recommend the use of confidence intervals. If the confidence intervals overlap, the difference is not statistically significant.
     

  References:
1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Women and smoking: a report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2001. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr_forwomen/index.htm (accessed May 23, 2006).

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Within 20 minutes of quitting (Poster). Available at http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr_2004/posters/20mins.htm (accessed May 23, 2006).
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