The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), providing estimates of the use of illegal substances, prescription drugs, alcohol and tobacco. In addition, the report covers prevalence and trends in mental disorders, treatment, and co-occurring substance use and mental disorders in the United States. The report found that in 2018, an estimated 47.0 million people aged 12 or older were past month cigarette smokers, including 27.3 million people who were daily cigarette smokers and 10.8 million daily smokers who smoked approximately a pack or more of cigarettes per day. Fewer than 1 in 6 people aged 12 or older in 2018 were past cigarette smokers, however the data did not include questions about the use of electronic nicotine devices, such as e-cigarettes. Declining rates between 2002 and 2018 may reflect the use of electronic nicotine devices as a substitute for delivering nicotine over more traditional tobacco forms. Other key tobacco- related findings from the report include:
- Past month tobacco use among people aged 12 or older
- Past month cigarette use among people aged 12 or older (2002-2018)
- Daily cigarette use among past month cigarette smokers aged 12 or older and smoking of one or more packs of cigarettes per day among current daily smokers
- Smokers of one or more packs of cigarettes per day among past month daily cigarette smokers aged 12 or older (2002-2018)
- Past year initiates of substances among people aged 12 or older
- Perceived great risk from substance use among people aged 12 or older
- Tobacco product use in lifetime among persons aged 12 or older, by age group and demographic characteristics
- Tobacco product use in past month among persons aged 12 or older, by age group and geographic and socioeconomic characteristics
For more information, view the recorded presentation of the 2018 NSDUH data presented by Dr. Elinore F.McCance-Kantz.