Skip to main content

All practices located at 222 Westchester Avenue are currently closed.
If you had a scheduled appointment, a member of our team will contact you to reschedule.

Effective Monday, September 29, 2025, Outpatient Physical Therapy patients will be seen at 244 Westchester Avenue, Suite 217, West Harrison, NY 10602

If you have any questions, please call us at 914.681.1116

We appreciate your understanding.

Health library

Back to health library

A look at smoking habits in the United States.

 

Reviewed 4/18/2025

Smoking in America

A look at smoking habits in the United States.

Use this timeline to see how smoking rates in American adults have changed since 1965

1965:

42.4% of adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

  • 51.9% of adult men were current smokers.
  • 57.9% of men age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 51.9% of men age 45-64 were current smokers.
  • 28.5% of men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

  • 33.9% of adult women were current smokers.
  • 42.1% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 32.0% of women age 45-65 were current smokers.
  • 9.6% of women age 65+ were current smokers.

1974:

37.1% of all adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

  • 43.1% of adult men were current smokers.
  • 47.9% of men age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 42.6% of men age 45-64 were current smokers.
  • 24.8% of men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

  • 32.1% of adult women were current smokers.
  • 37.5% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 33.4% of women age 45-64 were current smokers.
  • 12.0% of women age 65+ were current smokers.

1979:

33.5% of adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

  • 37.5% of adult men were current smokers.
  • 40.4% of men age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 39.3% of men age 45-64 were current smokers.
  • 20.9% of men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

  • 29.9% of adult women were current smokers.
  • 34.7% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 30.7% of women age 45-64 were current smokers.
  • 13.2% of women age 65+ were current smokers.

1985:

30.1% of adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

  • 32.6% of adult men were current smokers.
  • 35.2% of men age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 33.4% of men age 45-64 were current smokers.
  • 19.6% of men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

  • 27.9% of adult women were current smokers.
  • 31.4% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 29.9% of women age 45-64 were current smokers.
  • 13.5% of women age 65+ were current smokers.

1990:

25.5% of adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

  • 28.4% of adult men were current smokers.
  • 31.4% of men age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 29.3% of men age 45-64 were current smokers.
  • 14.6% of men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

  • 22.8% of adult women were current smokers.
  • 25.6% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 24.8% of women age 45-64 were current smokers.
  • 11.5% of women age 65+ were current smokers.

1995:

24.7% of adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

  • 27.0% of adult men were current smokers.
  • 29.9% of men age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 27.1% of men age 45-64 were current smokers.
  • 14.9% of men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

  • 22.6% of adult women were current smokers.
  • 25.6% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 24.0% of women age 45-64 were current smokers.
  • 11.5% of women age 65+ were current smokers.

2000:

22.4% of adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

  • 25.1% of adult men were current smokers.
  • 27.9% of men age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 23.9% of men age 45-64 were current smokers.
  • 10.1% of men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

  • 19.8% of adult women were current smokers.
  • 22.5% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 20.2% of women age 45-64 were current smokers.
  • 8.3% of women age 65+ were current smokers.

2005:

20.9% of adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

  • 23.9% of adult men were current smokers.
  • 27.1% of men age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 25.2% of men age 45-64 were current smokers.
  • 8.9% of men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

  • 18.1% of adult women were current smokers.
  • 21.2% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 18.8% of women age 45-64 were current smokers.
  • 8.3% of women 65+ were current smokers.

2010:

19.3% of adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

  • 21.5% of adult men were current smokers.
  • 25.8% of men age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 22.6% of men age 45-64 were current smokers.
  • 9.3% of men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

  • 17.3% of adult women were current smokers.
  • 19.5% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 19.5% of women age 45-64 were current smokers.
  • 7.6% of women age 65+ were current smokers.

2015:

15.1% of adults were current cigarette smokers.

Men

  • 16.7% of adult men were current smokers.
  • 18.5% of adult men age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 17.9% of adult men age 45-64 were current smokers.
  • 9.7% of adult men age 65+ were current smokers.

Women

  • 13.6% of adult women were current smokers.
  • 14.5% of women age 18-44 were current smokers.
  • 16.1% of women age 45-64 were current smokers.
  • 7.3% of women age 65+ were current smokers.

Cigarettes are a killer

There are more than 480,000 deaths from smoking per year. 278,544 of those deaths are among men. 201,773 of those deaths are among women. 41,000 of those deaths are from secondhand smoke alone.

Sources

Related stories