The inaugural US Tobacco Atlas reveals that cigarette smoking in American adults has dropped from 42% in 1965 to 11% in 2023.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- Historic Smoking Decline: The American Most cancers Society’s inaugural US Tobacco Atlas stories that grownup cigarette smoking within the U.S. dropped from 42% in 1965 to 11% in 2023, marking main public well being progress.
- Persistent Gaps in Screening and Fairness: Regardless of tobacco’s hyperlink to over 80% of lung most cancers deaths, solely 18.1% of eligible adults are updated on lung most cancers screening, with the bottom charges and best disparities seen in Southern states and marginalized populations.
- Name to Motion for Stronger Insurance policies: The Atlas urges renewed management and equity-driven tobacco management efforts, highlighting the continued rise of e-cigarettes, regional disparities, and the necessity for daring insurance policies to finish the tobacco epidemic.
The American Most cancers Society (ACS) launched the inaugural US Tobacco Atlas, a fact-based, digital scientific useful resource providing complete knowledge and insights on tobacco use, management insurance policies, and their impression nationwide.
The report notes that cigarette smoking amongst US adults dropped from 42% in 1965 to 11% in 2023. Researchers additionally found that solely 18.1% of eligible adults who at the moment smoke or previously smoked had been up-to-date with lung most cancers screening in 2022, regardless of cigarette smoking being a number one threat issue for lung most cancers. Screening charges are lowest in Southern states within the US, the place lung most cancers burden and healthcare entry points are best.
“The US Tobacco Atlas is a strong device showcasing not solely the toll that tobacco has taken on the U.S., but in addition the immense progress public well being good points have revamped the previous a long time,” mentioned Dr. Nigar Nargis, senior scientific director, tobacco management analysis on the American Most cancers Society and lead editor of the report. “For the reason that landmark 1964 U.S. Surgeon Basic’s report on tobacco, tens of millions of lives have been saved by tobacco management, however the scale of the epidemic calls for our continued consideration and help.”
Created by ACS, The US Tobacco Atlas maps tobacco use and management efforts at nationwide and state ranges within the U.S. and summarizes and interprets scientific proof into accessible data. The content material is organized into 4 predominant sections: Tobacco Use, Disparities, Well being & Financial Impression, and Tobacco Management Coverage Advances. It may be utilized by public well being professionals, researchers, advocates, policymakers, and college students to chart the burden and aid methods for tobacco use, facilitating a deeper exploration.
“The US Tobacco Atlas is greater than a report—it’s a name to motion. It reminds us that progress is feasible, however not inevitable. It requires daring management, equitable insurance policies, and unwavering dedication from each sector of society,” mentioned Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer on the American Most cancers Society. “Collectively, we are able to speed up the top of the tobacco epidemic and transfer nearer to a world the place nobody has most cancers due to tobacco.”
Extra highlights from the report embody:
- Regardless of progress, tobacco use stays the main preventable explanation for most cancers demise within the US, with over 80% of lung most cancers deaths attributed to tobacco.
- The nationwide stop smoking ratio reached a file 62% in 2022, though older adults (45+) have decrease stop makes an attempt and success charges, and a higher well being threat. Additionally, the usage of tobacco cessation aids is low, particularly within the South and Midwest.
- Secondhand smoke publicity has declined, though it stays excessive in rental and public housing, and youngsters and the aged are particularly susceptible.
- Smokeless tobacco use charges are low general, however concentrated in sure states (e.g., Wyoming, West Virginia).
- E-cigarettes are rising in reputation, particularly in states with excessive cigarette use; 33% of people that use tobacco additionally use each cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
- Regardless of declines, 1.63 million youth reported utilizing e-cigarettes in 2024, with 90% preferring flavored merchandise.
- Non-White people, folks with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people, and people with decrease earnings and restricted training face greater tobacco-related burdens.
“Whereas we have now made important strides in lowering smoking prevalence and increasing entry to evidence-based cessation assets, we stay deeply involved about persistent disparities in tobacco use and tobacco-related illness,” mentioned Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, senior scientific vice chairman, surveillance, prevention, and well being service analysis on the American Most cancers Society and senior writer of the report. “These disparities are significantly pronounced in states with weak tobacco management insurance policies and amongst populations with decrease socioeconomic standing, and inside communities traditionally focused by the tobacco business. This report brings these inequities into sharp focus and underscores the pressing want for strengthening state and federal tobacco management insurance policies, in addition to focused interventions.”
“For many years, we have now made outstanding progress in lowering tobacco use—the main preventable explanation for demise and illness in the USA. But at the moment, that progress is below menace,” mentioned Lisa A. Lacasse, president of the American Most cancers Society Most cancers Motion Community (ACS CAN). “Let this Atlas encourage policymakers to recommit to a daring imaginative and prescient: a future the place tobacco now not claims lives, deepens inequities, or burdens our economic system. Collectively, we are able to end what we began—and finish the tobacco epidemic as soon as and for all.”
ACS lung most cancers screening tips, up to date in 2023, suggest annual screening for adults 50-80 years of age who smoke or used to smoke and have a 20-year or higher pack-year smoking historical past, no matter stop date. A pack-year is the same as smoking one pack (or about 20 cigarettes) per day for a 12 months.
