Smoking by Region

The massive decline in the overall U.S. smoking rate disguises a persistent problem. Some communities have not experienced the same reduction in commercial tobacco use as others, and certain areas of the country continue to use tobacco at disproportionately higher rates compared with the rest of the country. Many of these regions make up what we call “Tobacco Nation,” where smoking rates are on par with some of the world’s most tobacco-dependent countries. These areas share not only higher tobacco use, but poorer health outcomes and a similar set of challenges — lack of income, infrastructure and health care resources — compounded by a lack of tobacco control policies.

Explore our research and analysis of smoking rates and patterns by regions in the U.S.