Tobacco Use

Goal: Reduce illness, disability, and death related to tobacco use and secondhand smoke.

More than 16 million adults in the United States have a disease caused by smoking cigarettes, and smoking-related illnesses lead to half a million deaths each year.1 Healthy People 2030 focuses on preventing people from using tobacco products and helping them quit. 

Most deaths and diseases from tobacco use in the United States are caused by cigarettes.1 Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body and increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, and many types of cancer. Although smoking is widespread, it’s more common in certain groups, including men, American Indians/Alaska Natives, people with behavioral health conditions, LGBT people, and people with lower incomes and education levels.

Several evidence-based strategies can help prevent and reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke. These include smoke-free policies, price increases, and health education campaigns that target large audiences. Methods like counseling and medication can also help people stop using tobacco.

Objective Status

  • 4 Target met or exceeded
  • 9 Improving
  • 8 Little or no detectable change
  • 2 Getting worse
  • 2 Baseline only
  • 1 Developmental
  • 1 Research

Learn more about objective types

References

1.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2014). The Health Consequences of Smoking — 50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK179276/