Cigarette smoking at a historic low, CDC reports

(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Cigarette smoking dropped to an all-time low last year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The data shows only 11% of adults say they smoked cigarettes last year, that's down from 12.5% in 2021. However, E-Cigarette use rose to nearly 6% from about 4.5% the year before.

Those statistic are based on preliminary findings from survey responses from more than 27,000 adults.

Cigarette smoking has long been considered the leading cause of preventable death from risk factors such as lung cancer, heart disease and stroke.

According to the study, the rate of cigarette smoking has dropped gradually for decades due to increased prices and smoking bans, among other factors.

In the mid-1960s, 42% of adults were smokers.

The CDC data also shows smoking and vaping rates are almost reversed for teens.

E-cigarette use, or so-called vaping, rose to nearly 14% last year, while only about 2% of high school students smoke traditional cigarettes.