Study: Smoking rates drop nearly 20 percent in Texas

Over the past decade, the United States has seen a massive decline in rates of cigarette smoking.

While cigarettes remain the most common tobacco product used in the U.S., electronic cigarettes, or vaping, has seen a significant increase.

An analysis by QuoteWizard, an insurance comparison website, looked at both the prevalence of cigarette smokers from 2009-2018 and e-cigarette users in 2016-2017 from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, to see which states had the largest increase or decrease in tobacco and vaping usage.

Smoking in the U.S. reached an all-time low in 2018, at 13.7 percent of users. The rate is down two-thirds from 50 years ago when the first Surgeon General’s warnings against smoking were released.

In Texas, there was a 19.55 percent decrease in smoking in the past 10 years, but a 2.13 percent increase in vaping.

The states with the largest difference between fewer smokers, but more vapers were New Jersey, Delaware and Indiana.

South Dakota had the largest increase in vaping in the time period at 51.72 percent.

South Dakota, Indiana and West Virginia saw the largest increases of vaping.

New York had the largest decrease in smoking rates at 28.89 percent.

One possible deterrant is that New York also has the country's highest state cigarette tax at $4.35 per pack.

New York, Nevada and Oklahoma saw the largest decreases in smoking rates.

While most states saw a decrease in smoking rates, some saw an increase including South Dakota, Maine, North Dakota, Montana, Ohio and Arkansas.

On the other hand, while many states saw an increase in vaping, several states saw a decrease in usage including Nevada, Connecticut, South Carolina, Georgia, Washington, Utah, Wisconsin, Alaska, Massachusetts, Nebraska and Louisiana.

The decrease in cigarette smokers in Texas far surpassed the nationwide average decrease of 10 percent and the rate of vaping that increased in Texas was less than the national average increase of eight percent.

More: Less smoking a highlight of health report

Along with less smoking, the U.S. saw a 2.2 percent decline in cancer deaths boosted, in part, by fewer deaths from lung cancer. The drop is the largest single decrease ever reported. Researchers are crediting the reduction in deaths to both better lung-cancer treatments and the decline in smoking.

While traditional lung cancer is on the decline, new lung-related health issues from vaping are cropping up in recent years.

At least 55 people are confirmed dead and thousands hospitalized from vaping-related issues.

As more people give up smoking for vaping, it’s possible these new vaping-related lung issues could increase as well.

The vaping “epidemic” is hitting the younger generation more heavily with a whole generation favoring vaping over smoking. Date from a study at the University of Michigan estimates e-cigarette usage in high-schoolers has increased 10-20 percent.

More: Texas Department of Health Services confirms first vaping-associated death in state

More: Poll: Vape-flavor ban could affect how people vote

Recent efforts to halt both cigarette smoking and vaping include increasing the age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21, and regulation to ban flavored e-cigarette products.

Changes to health-insurance regulations are possible to extend tobacco-use surcharges to e-cigarette users as well.

Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies could charge an up to 50 percent higher rate for tobacco users. The measure did not include e-cigarette users, but given the recent tend of vaping-related health issues a reclassification of surcharges is possible.

See the full QuoteWizard report at: https://quotewizard.com/news/posts/smoking-declines-as-vaping-increases.

Claire Kowalick, a senior journalist for the Times Record News, covers local government, military and MSU Texas. If you have a news tip, contact Claire at ckowalick@gannett.com.

Twitter: @KowalickNews