Current Cigarette Smoking Prevalence Among Working Adults—United States, 2004–2010

September 30, 2011 / Vol. 60 / No. 38

From 2004 to 2010, 19.6% of working Americans, aged 18 and older, smoked cigarettes.
Smoking prevalence varied widely among adults who work in specific industries and occupations.
- From 2004 to 2010, smoking prevalence by industry was lowest in the education services industry (9.7%) and highest in the mining and food services industries (30.0 percent).
- Similarly, during the same period, smoking prevalence by individuals' occupations was lowest among adults with education, training and library jobs (8.7%) and highest among those in construction and extraction jobs (31.4%).

Effective employer interventions are available to reduce smoking.
Recommended workplace interventions include
- 100% smoke-free workplace policies;
- Easily accessible help for those who want to quit;
- Comprehensive health insurance with little or no co-payment for cessation treatments.
These interventions can improve employee health, decrease absenteeism, and reduce utilization of health care resources.