Quitting Smoking Among Adults—United States, 2000-2015

January 6, 2017 / Vol. 65 / 52

MMWR Introduction

To assess progress toward the Healthy People 2020 objectives of increasing the proportion of U.S. adults who attempt to quit smoking cigarettes to ≥80.0% (TU-4.1), and increasing recent smoking cessation success to ≥8.0% (TU-5.1), CDC assessed national estimates of cessation behaviors among adults aged ≥18 years using data from the 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015 National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS). During 2015, 68.0% of adult smokers wanted to stop smoking, 55.4% made a past-year quit attempt, 7.4% recently quit smoking, 57.2% had been advised by a health professional to quit, and 31.2% used cessation counseling and/or medication when trying to quit. During 2000–2015, increases occurred in the proportion of smokers who reported a past-year quit attempt, recently quit smoking, were advised to quit by a health professional, and used cessation counseling and/or medication when trying to quit. As of 2015, among adults who had ever smoked, 59.1% (52.8 million) had quit.

To further increase cessation, health care providers can consistently identify smokers, advise them to quit, and offer them cessation treatments. In addition, health insurers can increase cessation by covering and promoting evidence-based treatments and removing barriers to treatment access. Funding state tobacco control programs, including state quitlines, at CDC-recommended levels, increasing tobacco prices, implementing comprehensive smoke-free policies, conducting anti-tobacco media campaigns, and enhancing access to quitting assistance can increase tobacco cessation and reduce tobacco-related disease and death.