Cigarette Smoking Among Adults and Trends in Smoking Cessation—United States, 2008

November 13, 2009 / Vol. 58 / No. 44

MMWR Introduction

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed self-reported data from the 2008 National Health Interview Survey which indicates that approximately 20.6% (46 million) U.S. adults were current cigarette smokers in 2008—a rate virtually unchanged from the 2007 rate of 19.8%. Adults 25 years of age or older with a General Educational Development certificate had the highest prevalence of smoking and the lowest rates of quitting. To effectively combat the tobacco-use epidemic and reduce smoking rates nationwide, we must protect people from secondhand smoke, increase the price of tobacco, and support aggressive anti-tobacco campaigns that will reduce smoking and save lives.