State-specific prevalence of current cigarette and cigar smoking among adults--United States, 1998

Abstract

Each year, cigarette smoking causes an estimated 430,000 deaths in the United States (1). In addition, the health risks for smoking cigars, which include mouth, throat, and lung cancers, are well documented (2). This report summarizes the findings from the 1998 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) on the prevalence of current cigarette and cigar smoking in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The findings indicate that state-specific cigarette smoking prevalence among adults aged > or = 18 years varied twofold and having ever smoked a cigar (i.e., ever cigar smoking) varied nearly fourfold.