New York: The number of adult smokers has never been so low

New York State Surgeon General Dr. Mary T. Bassett[1] announced that the adult smoking rate in New York State reached a new low of 12.1% in 2020, lower than the U.S. average of 15.5%. Among young adults, ages 18 to 24, the smoking rate is even lower: 5.5%[2].

These figures are partly due to the results of the Department of Health's Tobacco Control Program, which aims to prevent youth smoking and promote smoking cessation services. Despite these advances, smoking remains a significant public health problem. Each year, 22,000 people die prematurely from tobacco use in New York State, and 650,000 adults live with a chronic disease caused by tobacco.

Inequalities that persist according to population groups

Smoking prevalence among adults in New York State decreased by 15%, from 14.1% in 2017 to 12% in 2020. However, inequalities persist, and smoking rates remain higher among vulnerable populations, who have long been and remain the target of tobacco industry marketing strategies.

The smoking rate thus reaches 23% among adults enrolled in Medicaid[3], 20.2% among unemployed adults, and 20% among adults with an annual household income of less than $25,000. This proportion is also found among adults reporting frequent mental distress and among people who have not completed high school. Among adults living with a disability, 17.4 % of them are smokers. In some of these groups, the prevalence has even increased since 2017.

Concerns about the consumption of new products

Despite the downward trend in traditional cigarette consumption, health experts are concerned that the use of other tobacco and nicotine products—including cigars, hookahs, chewing tobacco, and e-cigarettes—remains popular, particularly among New York City teens and young adults. According to the latest figures, they remain the primary users of vaping products, which represent the most widely used nicotine product among this population group. According to the Department of Health data, nearly 40% of 12th-grade students and 27% of all high school students in New York State used these products in 2019 (compared to 10% in 2014).

Keywords: New York, adolescents, young adults, smoking, vaping, prevalence

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE

[1] Press release, New York State Department of Health Announces Decline in Adult Smoking Rate to All-Time Low, New York State Department of Health website, published June 3, 2022, accessed June 9, 2022

[2] Cigarette Smoking - New York State Adults, 2020, BRFSS Brief, Number 2022-12, published June 3, 2022, accessed June 9, 2022

[3] Medicaid is a program created in the United States that aims to provide health insurance to individuals and families with low incomes and resources.