| Demographic Group: | Resident persons aged >=18 years. |
| Numerator: | Respondents aged >=18 years who report having smoked >=100 cigarettes in their lifetime and are current smokers on every day or some days. |
| Denominator: | Respondents aged >=18 years who report ever or not ever smoking >=100 cigarettes in their lifetime and report their current smoking status (excluding unknowns and refusals). |
| Measures of Frequency: | Annual prevalence — crude and age-adjusted (standardized by the direct method to the year 2000 standard U.S. population, distribution 9*) — with 95% confidence interval. |
| Time Period of Case Definition: | Current. |
| Background: | Although the overall rate of smoking has decreased in recent decades, in 2002, a total of 23% of the adult population still smoked. The rate of smoking among young adults has risen in recent years. |
| Significance: | Approximately 440,000 deaths each year are attributed to cigarette smoking, making it the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Smoking increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and chronic lung disease. Environmental tobacco smoke has been demonstrated to increase the risk of heart disease and cancer among nonsmokers. Cessation of smoking by current smokers reduces their risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and respiratory disease. |
| Limitations of Indicator: | Indicator does not convey the frequency of using cigarettes or the lifetime and current amount of cigarettes smoked. Each of these might affect the risk for chronic disease. Indicator does not measure intent or attempts to quit smoking among smokers or exposure to environmental tobacco smoke among nonsmokers. |
| Data Resources: | Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/statesystem/StateSystem.aspx?selectedTopic=300&measure=18&ucName=UCTimeTrend&dir=epi_report |
| Limitations of Data Resources: | As with all self-reported sample surveys, BRFSS data might be subject to systematic error resulting from noncoverage (e.g., lower telephone coverage among populations of low socioeconomic status), nonresponse (e.g., refusal to participate in the survey or answer specific questions), or measurement (e.g., social desirability or recall bias). |
| Healthy People 2010 Objectives: | 27-1: Reduce tobacco use by adults. (27-1a is specific for cigarette smoking.) |
