October 2016

Overview

Tobacco use is the largest preventable cause of death and disease in the United States.¹ Worldwide, tobacco use causes nearly 6 million deaths per year, and current trends show that tobacco use will cause more than 8 million deaths annually by 2030.² Each year, approximately 480,000 Americans die from tobacco-related illnesses. In addition, more than 16 million Americans suffer from at least 1 disease caused by smoking.¹ Smoking-related illness in the United States costs more than $300 billion each year, including nearly $170 billion for direct medical care for adults and more than $156 billion in lost productivity.¹

There are disparities in tobacco use among demographic groups. These include race/ethnicity, age, education, and socioeconomic status. Disparities in tobacco use also exist geographically; such disparities typically result from differences among states in smoke-free protections, tobacco prices, and program funding for tobacco control.¹

Preventing tobacco use and helping tobacco users quit can improve the health and quality of life for Americans of all ages. People who stop smoking greatly reduce their risk of disease and premature death. Benefits are greater for people who stop at earlier ages, but quitting tobacco use is beneficial at any age.¹

Learn More About Tobacco Use

Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going

Over the past decade, the current cigarette smoking rate among adults aged 18 years and over decreased by 26.4%, from 20.8% in 2005 to 15.3% in 2015 (age adjusted). In the most recent data year, 2015, current adult cigarette smoking rates varied by educational attainment; for example, adults aged 25 years and over with less than a high school education had a current cigarette smoking rate 7 times that of those with an advanced degree (25.6% and 3.7%, respectively; age adjusted). The rate of cigarette use in the last 30 days among students in grades 9–12 also decreased in the past decade, by 53.0%, from 23.0% in 2005 to 10.8% in 2015.

Tobacco Use and the Affordable Care Act

As part of its emphasis on prevention and health promotion, the Affordable Care Act requires most private insurance plans to cover tobacco use screenings and some cessation treatments, including FDA-approved medications that help people quit smoking, for both adults and adolescents. The law also expands smoking cessation coverage for pregnant women who receive Medicaid and provides Medicare beneficiaries with access to an annual wellness visit that includes personalized prevention plan services such as tobacco cessation counseling and other tobacco cessation services.

The Health Insurance Marketplace offers a new way for individuals, families, and small businesses to get health coverage and obtain access to a variety of essential health benefits, including tobacco use screening for all adults and cessation interventions for tobacco users. Visit healthcare.gov to learn more about the benefits of the Affordable Care Act.

Leading Health Indicators

Leading Health Indicators (LHIs) are critical health issues that—if tackled appropriately—will dramatically reduce the leading causes of death and preventable illnesses. The Tobacco Use LHIs are:

• Adult cigarette smoking (TU-1.1)
• Adolescent cigarette smoking in past month (TU-2.2)

Who’s Leading the Leading Health Indicators?

Massachusetts Reduces Number of Youth Who Smoke

The Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program (MTCP) works to educate residents and decision makers across the state on effective strategies to reduce tobacco use and its impact. A central component of MTCP’s efforts is to reduce the tobacco industry’s influence on youth at the local level through local regulations, policies, and initiatives. Through one such initiative, entitled "The 84," MTCP partnered with Health Resources in Action to implement a statewide movement of high school students who work to educate peers and adults about the tobacco industry’s marketing tactics through approximately 100 chapters across Massachusetts. The 84 represents the 84% of Massachusetts youth who did not smoke when the movement began. As of today, 92% of Massachusetts youth do not smoke.

Read the Full Story

Leading Health Indicator Infographic

¹ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress. A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta (GA): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014. Printed with corrections, January 2014.

² https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast_facts/index.htm

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