CDC Report Gives Latest Smoking and Vaping Rates for Colorado Adults

Almost a quarter of Colorado e-cigarette users say they never smoked regular cigarettes before they started vaping, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which is based on health-related telephone surveys that collect data from U.S. residents regarding their health-related risk behaviors.

The recent report also showed that the adult smoking rate in Colorado has hovered around 14-15% over the past several years.

Here are a few other highlights from the survey:

• Over the past 10 years, cigarette sales have declined in Colorado from nearly 45 packs to about 30 packs per person per year (based on an internal analysis by CDPHE that combines census data with sales data)
• The adult vaping prevalence increased from 5.3% in 2017 to 7.5% in 2018. This statistically significant increase is tied to a surge in vaping among 18-24 year olds, which increased from 13.5% to 23.6% in the same time frame.
• Although cigarette sales are declining, public health officials worry that smokers are not quitting, just smoking less. This provides little public health benefit, as light smokers still sustain many of the same health problems as heavier smokers.

The Colorado Quitline continues to serve more Coloradans year after year. 29,157 people enrolled in the Quitline program in the 2018-19 year, showing that there is still interest and more work to be done to connect Coloradans with quit resources.

If you or someone you know is trying to quit, our free resources and the Colorado Quitline are great places to receive the support you need to succeed.

Want to see how communities across Colorado are organizing to reduce the toll of tobacco? Visit the Protect Coloradans page.