One in Five U.S. Adults Use a Tobacco Product

Of the nation’s nearly 49 million tobacco users, most are smokers

According to the newest data in today’s report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products, nearly 20% of U.S. adults used some form of tobacco product in 2015.

This is the first time CDC, in coordination with FDA, has used the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to assess the range of different tobacco products used by U.S. adults. The survey has been used to assess current (“every day” or “some day”) cigarette smoking among U.S. adults since 1965, but ongoing questions of other tobacco products began more recently.

About 42 million adults – more than 87% of the nation’s nearly 49 million tobacco product users – reported using a combustible product such as cigarettes, cigars, or pipes (including hookahs and water pipes). The remaining adult tobacco users reported using e-cigarettes or smokeless tobacco products such as chewing tobacco, snuff, dip, snus, and dissolvable tobacco.

Key findings from the analysis of tobacco use data include:

9.5 million American adults reported “every day” or “some day” use of two or more tobacco products.