Your Health Matters

Actions

US adult smoking rate fell during first year of pandemic

Anti Smoking NYC
Posted
and last updated

NEW YORK (AP) — The first year of the pandemic saw fewer Americans smoking.

U.S. cigarette smoking dropped to a new all-time low in 2020, with 1 in 8 adults saying they were current smokers.

That's according to survey data released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Adult e-cigarette use also dropped.

Outside experts said tobacco company price hikes and pandemic lifestyle changes likely played roles.

According to the data, smoking was higher among people who were divorced (22%) and single (21%) than those who were married (18%).

Close to 32,000 American adults were surveyed, and the data showed that from 2019 to 2020, Americans who used at least one tobacco product decreased from 21% in 2019 to 19% in 2020.

Also seeing a drop in usage was electronic cigarettes which fell from 4.5% in 2019 to 3.7% in 2020.

Combustible tobacco products fell from 16.7% to 15.2% in a years span, as well as those who smoked cigarettes decreased from 14% to 12.5%

It's the latest drop in a gradual decline that's been going on for more than half a century.

In 1965, 42% of U.S. adults were smokers.

,

Weather

Daily Forecast

View Hourly Forecast

Day

Conditions

HI / LO

Precip

Wednesday

04/01/2026

Partly Cloudy

76° / 55°

0%

Thursday

04/02/2026

AM Clouds/PM Sun

70° / 46°

18%

Friday

04/03/2026

Mostly Sunny

79° / 51°

2%

Saturday

04/04/2026

Partly Cloudy

85° / 56°

0%

Sunday

04/05/2026

Sunny

89° / 58°

0%

Monday

04/06/2026

Partly Cloudy

86° / 57°

0%

Tuesday

04/07/2026

Sunny

84° / 56°

1%

Wednesday

04/08/2026

Mostly Sunny

80° / 57°

2%