High Smoking Rates & Related Deaths in the US

Sep.06.2022
High smoking rates lead to addiction and health risks. Despite this, 22.3% of the global population still uses tobacco products.

A significant portion of the world's population are smokers. In fact, according to the World Health Organization's data, 22.3% of the global population use tobacco products. The main reason people smoke is to reduce stress, but it comes with the risk of addiction. This is because tobacco contains a chemical substance called nicotine, which creates a sense of relaxation when ingested.


Tobacco is one of the leading causes of death, with over 8 million deaths worldwide each year being attributed to tobacco use. It also increases the risk of various health issues such as stroke, cancer, and heart disease.


NiceRx has conducted a study on the countries and states with the highest smoking rates and the most deaths related to smoking in the year 2022.


The state with the highest smoking rate in the United States.


West Virginia state.


Smoking Rate in 2022: 23.8%


West Virginia, located in the southeastern region of the United States, is one of the smallest states with a population just exceeding 1.79 million, making it the twelfth least populous state. However, despite its small size, it has the highest smoking rate in the country, with a rate of 23.8%.


The smoking rate in Kentucky is projected to be 23.6% in 2022.


Kentucky borders West Virginia and is located in the southeastern United States. As of 2020, its population exceeded 4.5 million. Its smoking rate is comparable to West Virginia's, being only 0.2% lower.


Louisiana State


Smoking rate in 2022: 21.9%.


Louisiana, located in the southern region of the United States, is the 25th most populous state with a population of 4.65 million. As of 2022, Louisiana has a smoking rate of 21.9%, which is the third highest in the country.


Ohio State


Smoking rate in 2022: 20.8%


The Midwestern state of Ohio is the seventh most populous state in the United States, with a population just slightly below 11.8 million. As of 2022, Ohio has a smoking rate of 20.8% among its population, with over 2.4 million smokers.


Mississippi state


In 2022, the smoking rate in Mississippi, a state located in the southeastern region of the United States with a population of approximately 2.96 million and the lowest per capita income, ranks as the fifth highest in the country at 20.4%. This rate is almost three times that of Hawaii, which has one of the lowest smoking rates.


The state with the highest number of smoking-related deaths in the United States.


West Virginia.


Every year, 241 people die from smoking per 100,000 people.


West Virginia has the highest smoking rate in the United States, so it's not surprising that it also ranks highest in smoking-related deaths. This southeastern state reports 241 smoking-related deaths per 100,000 people annually.


In Kentucky, 197 people die annually from smoking per 100,000 individuals.


Despite West Virginia experiencing a population increase of over double, Kentucky comes in as a close second. High smoking rates often lead to an increased occurrence of smoking-related health issues. This has even resulted in the state seeing 197 deaths per 100,000 people annually.


Arkansas


192 people die each year from smoking per 100,000 individuals.


As the third largest state in the southern United States, Arkansas ranked sixth in smoking rates across the country in 2022. The state sees 192 smoking-related deaths per 100,000 residents each year, just slightly lower than Kentucky.


Oklahoma state.


188 people per 100,000 die every year due to smoking.


Oklahoma, located in the southern region of the United States and sharing its eastern border with Arkansas, has a smoking rate of 18.9% in 2022, ranking just outside the top ten highest smoking states. Despite this, the state still sees 188 smoking-related deaths per 100,000 people annually. Nevertheless, Oklahoma has been gradually tightening smoking laws, especially those targeting youth smoking.


5. Mississippi State


183 people die each year from smoking per 100,000 individuals.


To compile this data, NiceRX utilized the national rankings from the "World Population Review" and the state rankings from the "US World Population Review.


Statement


This article is compiled from information provided by a third party and is intended solely for the purpose of industry communication and learning.


This article does not represent the views of 2FIRSTS and 2FIRSTS cannot confirm the authenticity or accuracy of its content. The translation of this article is solely for industry exchange and research purposes.


Due to limitations in the translator's proficiency, the translated article may not fully reflect the original text. Please refer to the original article for accuracy.


2FIRSTS is fully aligned with the Chinese government in regards to any domestic, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, or foreign related statements and positions.


The copyright of compiled information belongs to the original media and author. If there is any infringement, please contact us for deletion.


This document has been generated through artificial intelligence translation and is provided solely for the purposes of industry discourse and learning. Please note that the intellectual property rights of the content belong to the original media source or author. Owing to certain limitations in the translation process, there may be discrepancies between the translated text and the original content. We recommend referring to the original source for complete accuracy. In case of any inaccuracies, we invite you to reach out to us with corrections. If you believe any content has infringed upon your rights, please contact us immediately for its removal.

Can hookah go institutional? A hookah company seeking to go public makes its case with capital, technology and regulation
Can hookah go institutional? A hookah company seeking to go public makes its case with capital, technology and regulation
2Firsts explored whether hookah can evolve into a more mature and governable category by interviewing Dubai-based hookah company AIR. AIR argues that strong margins, OOKA’s closed-system model and the prospect of differentiated regulation could support that shift. The larger question is whether this is simply AIR’s capital-markets narrative, or an early sign that competition, regulation and category boundaries in hookah are beginning to change.
Apr.02
UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill Receives Royal Assent, Banning Tobacco Sales to People Born After 2008
UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill Receives Royal Assent, Banning Tobacco Sales to People Born After 2008
The UK government announced on April 29 that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill had received Royal Assent and become law. Under the new law, it is illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2009. The government said the law creates the UK’s first “smoke-free generation” and includes measures to ban the advertising and sponsorship of vapes and nicotine products, as well as powers to restrict packaging, branding and displays designed to appeal to children.
Apr.30 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Tasmanian Lower House Passes Tougher Tobacco Bill With Higher Penalties for Sales to Minors
Tasmanian Lower House Passes Tougher Tobacco Bill With Higher Penalties for Sales to Minors
The Tasmanian House of Assembly has passed a new bill aimed at cracking down on the sale of smoking products to children and curbing the illicit tobacco trade. Under the Public Health Amendment (Prohibited Tobacco and Other Products) Bill 2026, businesses caught selling tobacco products to minors would face steeper, tiered fines.
Apr.23 by 2FIRSTS.ai
UK Bill Banning Tobacco Sales to People Born After 2008 Clears Parliament
UK Bill Banning Tobacco Sales to People Born After 2008 Clears Parliament
A UK bill banning the legal sale of tobacco to people born on or after January 1, 2009 has completed its passage through parliament. Under the bill, those born in that group will never be able to be legally sold tobacco anywhere in the UK. The legislation is expected to receive royal assent next week. It also gives ministers powers to strengthen public-place smoking restrictions and restricts branding, promotion and advertising of vape and nicotine products aimed at children.
Apr.22 by 2FIRSTS.ai
FDA and NIH Release New Wave 8 Restricted-Use PATH Study Data Files
FDA and NIH Release New Wave 8 Restricted-Use PATH Study Data Files
FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products and NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse announced that new Wave 8 restricted-use data files from the PATH Study are now available. The files contain data collected between January 2024 and December 2024, including questionnaire data, location characteristics data, and state identifier data.
Apr.17 by 2FIRSTS.ai
State Attorneys General Urge Visa, Mastercard and Others to Stop Processing Illicit E-Cigarette Transactions
State Attorneys General Urge Visa, Mastercard and Others to Stop Processing Illicit E-Cigarette Transactions
Fourteen U.S. state attorneys general sent a joint letter dated April 14, 2026 to Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover, asking them to immediately help stop the sale of illicit e-cigarette products by cutting off payment access.
Apr.17 by 2FIRSTS.ai