Cigarette Smoking Drops to Single Digits Among US Adults

Use of other tobacco products like cigars and e-cigarettes remains flat, highlighting need for comprehensive policies.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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A new Public Health Alerts report shows that cigarette smoking among US adults dropped from 10.8% in 2023 to 9.9% in 2024, marking the first time prevalence reached single digits. However, use of other tobacco products like cigars and e-cigarettes remained unchanged, with 18.8% of US adults using at least one tobacco product in 2024.

Why it matters

The decline in cigarette smoking is progress toward national health goals, but the lack of change in other tobacco products indicates the need for more comprehensive tobacco control policies to address all products and continue reducing overall tobacco use.

The details

The report, a collaboration between NEJM Evidence and CIDRAP, analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey which included over 29,000 adults in 2023 and over 32,000 in 2024. It found that in 2024, 12.6% of adults used cigarettes or cigars, 9.9% smoked cigarettes, 7.0% used e-cigarettes, 3.7% smoked cigars, and 2.6% used smokeless tobacco.

  • The survey data was collected in 2023 and 2024.

The players

NEJM Evidence

A medical journal that collaborated with CIDRAP on the Public Health Alerts report.

CIDRAP

The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, which collaborated with NEJM Evidence on the Public Health Alerts report.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health

The office that has historically coordinated reporting on adult smoking prevalence, but has recently experienced gaps in the continuity of federal tobacco surveillance.

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The takeaway

While the decline in cigarette smoking among US adults is a positive step toward national health goals, the continued high use of other tobacco products like cigars and e-cigarettes indicates the need for more comprehensive tobacco control policies that address all tobacco and nicotine products to further reduce overall tobacco use.