Tobacco Use Disorder: Epidemiology

In the United States, cigarette use has slowly declined since the 1960s. According to the 2013 National Health Interview Survey, 17.8% of Americans aged 18 years and older smoke cigarettes (i.e., smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and currently smoke at least some days). Thus, one in five Americans is a current cigarette smoker. Men continue to smoke cigarettes at higher rates than women: 20.5% versus 15.3%, respectively. Rates of smoking among non-Hispanic populations are 26.8% for multiple race individuals, 26.1% for American Indians/Alaska Natives, 19.4% for Whites, 18.3% for Blacks, and 9.6% for Asians.

Significant changes in the patterns of cigarette use among current smokers have also been observed since 2005. Specifically, daily cigarette use has declined by ∼4% (80.8%–76.9%), whereas smoking on ...