No Smoking Day 2025: Decrease In Smoking Rates, But A Sharp Rise Among E-Cigarette Users, Reveals CDC Report

Every year on the second Wednesday in March, No Smoking Day is observed. This day aims to raise awareness on the impact prolonged smoking can have on your body, including your skin, dental issues, respiratory issues and cancer risk. A week before this day, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), released its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report that highlighted the data on cigarette smoking. The report shows a decrease in cigarette smoking, but an increase in electronic smoking among the US adults between 2017 to 2023.

The researchers from CDC in Atlanta describe this trend in use of commercial tobacco products, which includes combustible tobacco products, smokeless tobacco products and e-cigarettes, which have been seen with adults during a seven-year period. The analysis also included adult participants from the National Health Interview Survey (2017 to 2023).

The decline in cigarette smoking was noted from 10.8% to 7.9%, while the increase in the use of e-cigarette was marked from 1.2% to 4.1%. There has also been a decrease in cigarette and pipe smoking among adults aged 18 to 24 years, at the rate of 6.5% to 1.2% and 1.0% to 0.1%. However, e-cigarettes use among this age increased from 2.7% to 10.3%, a similar trend was noted even among the people aged 25 to 44 years, where the cigarette smoking rates decreased from 12.0% to 7.6%, but the e-cigarette use increased from 1.5% to 6.1%.

"The decrease in number of adults who currently exclusively smoke cigarettes by approximately 6.8 million persons was offset by the increase in the number who currently use e-cigarettes exclusively (approximately 7.2 million)," the authors write.

Health Concern As Vaping Rises

The use of e-cigarettes or vapes has been a concern in the United States. Not too long ago, a New York Attorney General Letitia James took a strong stand against e-cigarette manufacturers and distributors. James filed a lawsuit accusing them of fueling a youth vaping crisis. The lawsuit alleges that these companies that manufacture vapes, especially with flavors have misled consumers about the safety of the products while deliberately targeting young people through deceptive marketing.

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Vaping has become a more common form of tobacco use among American middle and high school students. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC, nearly 1.6 million students used e-cigarettes in 2024, with 87.6% of them opting for a flavored product. It is the flavor that makes it even more addictive, and people want to keep smoking it, resulting in it being emptied and refilled way more quickly. This means those who smoke flavored cigarettes consume more tobacco than those who smoke unflavored ones. Although overall youth vaping rates have declined by almost 70% since their peak in 2019, health officials say the industry’s marketing tactics remain a serious concern.

Beyond Heart And Lungs

Not just your lungs and hearts, but smoking also affects brain activity and increases the risk of seizures. These are bursts of abnormal and uncontrolled electric activity in the brain that can lead temporary abnormalities in muscle tone or movement, behaviors, sensations, or states of awareness.

Quitting smoking has well-documented health benefits for all people. It could improve your lung function to reduce cancer risks. Besides, people must remember that epilepsy can be prevented or mitigated in several cases. Therefore, for people with this neurological condition, quitting may also help decrease seizure frequency and improve medication effectiveness.