Half of States Show Decline in Smoking

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a study that found a significant decline of smoking in about half of states between 2011 and 2013, HealthDay reports. However, there was little change found in the rate of smokeless tobacco use.

While the previously stated finding is promising, the report indicated some areas of concern. The CDC found only a small change in the rate of people who used both cigarettes and smokeless tobacco; in fact, some states showed an increase of concurrent use of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. The CDC noted that adults using more than one tobacco product have higher levels of nicotine dependence - making them less likely to want to quit.

“From 2011 to 2013 although we’ve seen some progress for cigarette smoking overall, there hasn’t been a significant change in cigarette smoking or smokeless tobacco use across many states,” the CDC’s Brian King told HealthDay. “What is most concerning is the preponderance of dual use—people using multiple tobacco products.”

The CDC found that 26 states showed a decrease in smoking rates during the study period, but, only Ohio and Tennessee showed a decline in smokeless tobacco use, according to the article. Between 2011 and 2013, four states showed that the use of smokeless tobacco increased:

• Louisiana
• Montana
• South Carolina
• West Virginia

During the same time period, the CDC found that the combined use of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco increased in:

• Delaware
• Idaho
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• West Virginia

In 2013, adult smoking decreased across the country to 19 percent, from 21 percent in 2011, the article reports. The rate of smoking was highest in West Virginia (27 percent) and lowest in Utah (10 percent). Smokeless tobacco use was also highest in West Virginia (9 percent) and lowest in Massachusetts (1.5 percent).