Consumption of Combustible and Smokeless Tobacco—United States, 2000-2015

December 9, 2016 / Vol. 65 / 48

MMWR Introduction

For the years 2000-2015, CDC estimated total and per capita consumption of combustible tobacco (cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco, small cigars, and large cigars) and smokeless tobacco (chewing tobacco and dry snuff) using consumption estimates based on tobacco excise tax data. During this period, total combustible tobacco consumption decreased 33.5%, or 43.7% per capita. Although total cigarette consumption decreased 38.7%, cigarettes remained the most commonly used combustible tobacco product. Total non-cigarette combustible tobacco (cigars, roll-your-own, and pipe tobacco) consumption increased 117.1%, or 83.8% per capita during 2000-2015. For smokeless tobacco, total consumption increased 23.1%, or 4.2% per capita.

Notably, total cigarette consumption was 267.0 billion cigarettes in 2015 compared to 262.7 billion in 2014. These findings indicate that although cigarette smoking declined overall during 2000-2015, and each year from 2000-2014, the number of cigarettes consumed in 2015 was higher than in 2014, the first time annual consumption was higher than the previous year since 1973. Moreover, the consumption of other combustible and smokeless tobacco products remains high. Implementation of proven tobacco prevention interventions are warranted to further reduce tobacco use in the United States.