How Many Americans Die From Smoking Cigarettes Each Year?

Each year, hundreds of thousands of Americans die from smoking cigarettes. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 480,000 people die each year in the United States, making smoking the leading cause of preventable death in the country.

Based on the CDC’s data, over 16 million Americans live with smoking related disease.

For men, the numbers are worse than they are for women. In the U.S., some 16.7 percent of adult men smoke, whereas roughly 13.6 percent of adult women smoke.

By age, the most smokers, as a percentage, can be found in the 45-64 age bracket, in which some 17 percent smoke. The next highest age bracket of smokers as a percentage of the bracket is adults ages 25 to 44, of which some 17.7 percent smoke. For the young adults, those ages 18 to 24, this percentage drops to just 13 percent. And for the older crowd, those 65 years and older, the number drops further to just 8.4 percent.

While smoking cigarettes continues to claim lives each year, vaping is rapidly on the rise. As it rises, at least one study has made a correlation between rising e-cig use and declining cigarette use.

Could Vaping Offer A Solution?

The prospect of vaporizers such as electronic cigarettes replacing cigarettes is very real, but could they offer a solution to the cigarette smoking derived issues that we’re facing today? That’s a question that scientists around the world continue to research and debate, however, in some countries, the current evidence that vaping may very help the population at large, particularly the smoking population, is sufficient for policy change. In the United Kingdom, smokers are now being encouraged to ditch the cigarette in favor of the electronic cigarette. However, while e-cigs are being encouraged by some, others continue to maintain official policies that discourage their use. One such example is Australia where the federal government has banned nicotine e-cigs and e-juices.

What do you think, could vaporizers help eradicate cigarette use? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.