Cigarette smoking at all-time low among adults; e-cigarette use rises

A record-low number of adults reported cigarette use in 2022, while reported usage of electronic cigarettes rose among adults.

Preliminary survey results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found just 11 percent of American adults — or about 1 in 9 — reported they are smokers, which is a drop from 12.5 percent reported in 2020 and 2021.

The new data, which is based on responses from 27,000 adults, captured an uptick in e-cigarette use among adults, from 4.5 percent who reported use in 2021 to 6 percent in 2022.

Cigarette use has been declining for decades as more health information has emerged about the health risks of smoking and many places banned smoking. In 2005, about 20.9 percent of adults reported being current smokers, almost double the 2022 figure, according to the CDC.

Meanwhile e-cigarette use, especially among adolescents, has been on the rise. The CDC reported last year that 2.55 million U.S. middle and high school students said they were current e-cigarette users, which is equivalent to about 14.1 percent of high school students and 3.3 percent of middle school students.  

According to the CDC, smoking remains a major cause of preventable disease, disability, and death. The agency also says that about 90 percent of all lung cancer deaths were caused by smoking.