State-specific prevalence of current cigarette smoking among adults, and policies and attitudes about secondhand smoke--United States, 2000

Abstract

Tobacco use, particularly cigarette smoking, is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, but the health consequences extend beyond smokers to nonsmokers involuntarily exposed to environmental tobacco smoke or secondhand smoke (SHS). Each year, an estimated 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 62,000 deaths from coronary heart disease in adult nonsmokers are attributed to SHS. Among children, SHS causes sudden infant death syndrome, low birthweight, chronic middle ear infections, and respiratory illnesses (e.g., asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia). Two national health objectives for 2010 are to reduce cigarette smoking among adults to 12% (objective 27-1) and the proportion of nonsmokers exposed to environmental tobacco smoke to 45% (objective 27-10). To characterize state-specific prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults, exposure to SHS at home, smoke-free workplace policies, and attitudes toward smoke-free policies by state, CDC analyzed data from the 2000 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). This report summarizes the results of that analysis and indicates that in 2000, state-specific adult smoking prevalence ranged from 12.9%-30.5%, and high levels of public support exist, even among smokers, for smoke-free policies in many settings. States should implement comprehensive programs to reduce tobacco use and adopt clean indoor air policies to reduce involuntary exposure to SHS.