NATIONAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY ON DRUG ABUSE: smokeless tobacco

Chapter 8: Cigarettes, Smokeless Tobacco, and Cigars

Tobacco use is considered to be the most important preventable cause of death and disease in the United States (Office on Smoking and Health, 1989). The prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults in the United States has declined dramatically since the mid-1960s (National Center for Health Statistics [NCHS], 1996), following the release of the first Surgeon General's report on the health consequences of smoking. Among youths, however, Monitoring the Future data indicate significant increases since 1991 in the prevalences of past 30-day smoking, daily smoking, and smoking of one-half pack or more of cigarettes per day (Johnston et al., 1998a, 1998b; NCADI, 1998). Trend data from the NHSDA also show slight increases since 1992 in the prevalence of past month cigarette use among youths aged 12 to 17 (see Table 2.8). Moreover, as noted by Nelson et al. (1995), adolescence is the critical period in which most people begin smoking.

In addition, consumption of smokeless tobacco products increased rapidly in the 1970s and 1980s, particularly among young white males (Connolly et al, 1986; Giovino et al., 1994). Smokeless tobacco use increases a person's risk for oral cancer and other oral problems (Cullen et al., 1986; Ernster et al., 1990; National Institutes of Health [NIH], 1986). Furthermore, as is the case with cigarettes, use of smokeless tobacco products can lead to nicotine dependence (Connolly, Orleans, & Kogan, 1988; Ernster et al., 1990; Public Health Service [PHS], 1991).

This chapter discusses the prevalence and correlates of cigarette, smokeless tobacco, and cigar use. This chapter also discusses the amount of cigarette use per day and the relationships between use of cigarettes or cigars and use of other drugs. Because of the trends noted above, the discussion emphasizes tobacco use among youths and young adults. The discussion also emphasizes use of these tobacco products in the past year and past month, as opposed to lifetime use.

This page was last updated on June 16, 2008.

SAMHSA, an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services, is the Federal Government's lead agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services in the United States.

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