Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWRs)

State-Specific Prevalence and Trends in Adult Cigarette Smoking—United States, 1998–2007

States varied substantially in both levels of smoking and trends in smoking during the past 10 years, and these variations can be attributed to factors such as differences in population demographics, differing levels of tobacco control programs and policies, and variations in tobacco industry marketing and promotion.
In 2007, cigarette smoking prevalence among the 50 states, the District of Columbia (DC), Guam, Puerto Rico (PR), and U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) ranged from 8.7% to 31.1%.
Current smoking prevalence was highest in Kentucky (28.3%), West Virginia (27.0%), Oklahoma (25.8%), and Missouri (24.6%); these were almost twofold higher than the states with the lowest prevalence (Utah, 11.7%; California, 14.3%).
In 2007, only Utah and USVI and women in Utah, California, USVI, and PR continued to meet the Healthy People 2010 objective for reducing adult cigarette smoking prevalence to 12% or below.
Smoking prevalence among men in USVI also fell below the national objective in 2007 (11.2%) from 12.1% in 2006.
Men had higher smoking prevalence than women in 30 states, DC, and all three territories; the remaining states had no significant differences in prevalence among men and women.

From 1998–2007, smoking prevalence among adults decreased in 44 states, DC, and PR.
Six states (Alabama, Arizona, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and West Virginia) had no significant declines in prevalence in the past 10 years.
The present rate of decline will very likely be too slow in almost all states other than Utah to achieve the Healthy People 2010 objective unless comprehensive, evidence-based tobacco control programs are fully implemented in all states.
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a state-based, random-digit dialed telephone survey of the non-institutionalized U.S. population aged 18 years and older that collects data on health conditions and health risk behaviors and, in 2007, was conducted in the 50 states, DC, Guam, PR, and USVI.

Page last modified 03/12/2009