Share on Social Media:
The Top 5 US Cigarette Smokers (broken down by race or ethnicity)
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage of US Smokers | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Indians/Alaska Natives | 32.7% |
| 2 | Whites | 24.0% |
| 3 | African Americans | 22.3% |
| 4 | Hispanics | 16.7% |
| 5 | Asian Americans | 12.4% |
Special Report
- Each year 440,000 people die in the US from tobacco use. Nearly 1 of every 5 deaths is related to smoking. Cigarettes kill more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide, and illegal drugs combined.
- The smoking rate is higher in younger age groups. Almost 27% of those 18 to 24 years old were current smokers.
- Nationwide, 22.9% of high school students were current smokers in 2002. White and Hispanic students were among the highest in terms of cigarette use.
- Cigarette smoking accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths. It is a major cause of cancers of the lung, larynx (voice box), oral cavity, pharynx (throat), and esophagus, and is a contributing cause in the development of cancers of the bladder, pancreas, liver, uterine cervix, kidney, stomach, colon and rectum, and some leukemias.
- About 87% of lung cancer deaths are caused by smoking. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women, and is one of the most difficult cancers to treat.
- Shafey, O., Eriksen, M., Ross, H., Mackay, J., (2009). "The Tobacco Atlas, Third Edition." Retrieved Jan 12th, 2011.
- WHO. (2009). "WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic". Retrieved Jan 12th, 2011.
