American cigarette smoking hits single digits for first time ever, study finds

The percentage of American adults who smoke cigarettes has fallen to the lowest level ever recorded, a new study finds.

About 9.9% of U.S. adults reported smoking cigarettes in 2024, down from 10.8% in 2023, according to an analysis of National Health Survey data published Tuesday in the journal NEJM Evidence.

The findings mark the first time the U.S. adult smoking rate has fallen into the single digits, a milestone that public health officials have been pursuing for decades. This decline suggests that the United States may be moving closer to the Healthy People 2030 goal – a national public health goal – of reducing adult smoking to 6.1%.

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“If this decline continues, the goal could be met or exceeded by 2030,” the researchers, led by Israel Agaku, Ph.D., an Atlanta-based public health researcher and professor, wrote in the journal.

The percentage of American adults who smoke cigarettes fell to 9.9% in 2024, the lowest level on record, according to a new study. (iStock)

But this milestone does not mean that smoking has disappeared. About 25.2 million adults still smoke cigarettes — the most commonly consumed tobacco product in the United States — while nearly 47.7 million adults, or 18.8 percent of the population, use at least one tobacco product, including cigarettes, cigars or e-cigarettes, according to researchers.

The study analyzed responses from more than 29,500 adults in 2023 and 32,600 adults in 2024 who participated in the National Health Interview Survey, a nationally representative household survey and the most recent national data available on adult smoking.

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The decline in smoking has contributed to a decline in overall combustible tobacco consumption, which includes cigarettes and cigars. About 12.6% of adults used combustible tobacco in 2024, up from 13.5% the previous year, the study found.

Consumption of other tobacco products such as e-cigarettes has remained largely unchanged. (iStock)

However, the prevalence of other tobacco products – including e-cigarettes and cigars – did not change significantly between 2023 and 2024, the study found.

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“The lack of change in cigar and e-cigarette use calls for intensified implementation of comprehensive tobacco control policies covering all products,” the researchers wrote.

The study also found that tobacco use was not evenly distributed across the population.

Tobacco use was higher in certain occupational groups, including adults working in agriculture, construction and manufacturing. (iStock)

Men reported significantly higher tobacco use than women, with just over 24% of men using at least one tobacco product, compared to almost 14% of women, the study found.

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Tobacco use was also higher among certain demographic and occupational groups, particularly among adults working in sectors such as agriculture, construction and manufacturing.

The highest tobacco consumption was reported among people with a certificate of general educational development (42.8%), as well as rural residents, low-income people and people with disabilities.

Young adults were more likely to use e-cigarettes than traditional cigarettes. Nearly 15% of adults ages 18 to 24 reported using e-cigarettes, compared to 3.4% who smoked cigarettes, the study found.

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Some experts note that the results reflect a change in nicotine consumption rather than an disappearance of addiction.

Young adults were more likely to use e-cigarettes than traditional cigarettes, the study found. (iStock)

John Puls, a psychotherapist and addiction specialist who runs Full Life Comprehensive Care in Boca Raton, Fla., said the trend away from cigarettes but continued use of tobacco and e-cigarettes reflects what he sees in patients.

“Most of my patients use e-cigarettes and various vape products,” Puls, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “They are easier to conceal, can be used almost anywhere, and deliver a much more potent dose of nicotine.”

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On the other hand, smoking cigarettes is “more socially unacceptable than ever,” he added. “I work with many patients who are addicted to nicotine and the vast majority have never smoked a cigarette.”

Public health officials emphasize that no tobacco product is considered safe. (iStock)

Puls said this pattern is especially common among adolescents and young adults and is concerning because cigarettes typically deliver about 1 to 2 milligrams of nicotine, while some vaping products can contain 20 to 60 milligrams.

“There is also a perception that e-cigarettes are a safer form of smoking, which is contributing to the decline in smoking,” Puls added.

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Health officials emphasize that no tobacco products are safe, including e-cigarettes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States and is responsible for approximately one in three cancer deaths, according to the agency.

Public health officials say smoking cessation assistance, anti-smoking laws and tobacco taxes are key tools for reducing smoking rates. (iStock)

Overall, sustained public health measures – including anti-smoking laws, tobacco taxes, and access to smoking cessation support – remain essential to further reduce tobacco use, the researchers noted.

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The study had several limitations, including changes in the definition of smokeless tobacco over survey years, reliance on self-reported data, and less reliable estimates for some smaller subgroups.

Fox News Digital has contacted Agaku for comment.