Brief Description
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cigarette smoking results in more than 480,000 premature deaths in the United States each year—about 1 in every 5 U.S. deaths1—and an additional 16 million people suffer with a serious illness caused by smoking.1 In fact,, for every one person who dies from smoking, about 30 more suffer from at least one serious tobacco-related illness.1 Learn more
Statistics and Trends
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| Drug | Time Period | 8th Graders | 10th Graders | 12th Graders |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cigarettes (any use) | Lifetime | [9.80] | [17.50] | [28.30] |
| Past Month | [2.60] | [4.90] | 10.50 | |
| Daily | [0.90] | [1.90] | 4.80 | |
| E-cigarettes | Past Month | 6.20 | 11.00 | 12.50 |
| Smokeless Tobacco | Lifetime | 6.90 | 10.20 | 14.20 |
| Past Month | 2.50 | 3.50 | 6.60 | |
| Daily | 0.60 | 1.00 | 2.70 |
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| Drug | Time Period | Ages 12 or Older | Ages 12 to 17 | Ages 18 to 25 | Ages 26 or Older |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cigarettes (any use) | Lifetime | 58.50 | 13.20 | 53.30 | 64.70 |
| Past Year | 23.10 | 8.10 | 35.00 | 22.90 | |
| Past Month | 19.40 | 4.20 | 26.70 | 20.00 | |
| Smokeless Tobacco | Lifetime | 16.30 | 5.50 | 19.60 | 17.00 |
| Past Year | 4.70 | 3.50 | 9.00 | 4.10 | |
| Past Month | 3.40 | 1.50 | 5.40 | 3.20 |
Related Videos
- Dr. Wilson Compton on MTF and Nicotine Use (December 2016)
- Teens Using E-cigarettes More Likely to Start Smoking Tobacco (August 2015)
- I-Science: #CPDD What's Hot - Public Health Potential of E-cigarette (July 2015)
- NIDA Spotlight: Tobacco Partnership with FDA (April 2014)
Related Publications
Related Resources
- Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (PATH) - A national longitudinal study of tobacco use and how it affects the health of people in the United States, led by NIDA and the Food and Drug Administration
- Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence Guidelines
- NIDA for Teens: Tobacco Addiction
- Guidance for Parents on Keeping Kids Smoke-Free (Letter from NIDA's former director) (Archives)
- Tobacco Regulatory Science Program (TRSP) (NIH/FDA collaboration)
- Preventing and Reducing Teen Tobacco Use (HHS)
- Online Guide to Quit Smoking (NCI - smokefree.gov)
- The Real Cost (FDA Center for Tobacco Products)
- Be Tobacco Free (HHS)
- Tips from former Smokers (CDC)
- The Virtual Office of the Surgeon General - Guidelines to Quit Smoking
- Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Centers - NIDA, the National Cancer Institute, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Studying new ways to combat tobacco use
Emerging Trends & Alerts
Get more information on Emerging Trends and Alerts, we will update this page with the latest research findings as they develop.
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NIDA's Publication Series
NIDA TV Spotlight: Tobacco Partnership with FDA
