Over the decade from 2005 to 2015, cigarette smoking among US adults declined, however, disparities persist, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study. Researchers assessed the most recent national estimates of cigarette smoking prevalence among adults aged ≥18 years using data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). They found:

• The proportion of US adults who smoke cigarettes declined from 20.9% in 2005 (45.1 million smokers) to 15.1% in 2015 (36.5 million smokers).

• The proportion of daily smokers declined from 16.9% to 11.4% over the same study period.

• However, prevalence of cigarette smoking was higher among adults who were male, were aged 25 to 44 years, and American Indian/Alaska Native.

• Also in 2015, cigarette smoking prevalence was higher among persons who have serious psychological distress (40.6%) than among persons without serious psychological distress (14.0%).

• Proven population-based interventions are critical to reducing cigarette smoking in this population.

Citation: Jamal A, King BA, Neff LJ, Whitmill J, Babb SD, Graffunder CM. Current cigarette smoking among US adults—United States, 2005-2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65:1205-1211. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6544a2.

Commentary: Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in the US. The public health interventions as well as direct interventions with patients by primary care physicians have led to approximately a 50% decrease in smoking rates in the 50 years since the Surgeon General’s first report on smoking and health. Population-level interventions have included tobacco price increases, anti-tobacco media campaigns, comprehensive smoke-free laws, and enhanced access to help in quitting tobacco use. Individual physician advice substantially enhances quit rates, and the combination of behavioral interventions with pharmacologic intervention including nicotine replacement, varenicline and bupropion, can improve and sustain cessation rates by 50 to 150%. The combined efforts of the public health sector and primary care physician attention to smoking cessation is cause for celebration and stands out as one of the great health accomplishments of the last 50 years. —Neil Skolnik, MD