Map: These states have the most, least smokers

FILE - Cigarettes for sale in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. Photographer: Shelby Knowles/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The American Lung Association recently released its State of Tobacco Control Report for 2025, which grades the actions of the federal and state governments in preventing and reducing tobacco use. 

By the numbers:

36 million adults in the U.S. smoke cigarettes, according to Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association.

2.25 million middle and high school students use tobacco products, according to the association’s National Youth Tobacco Survey. This puts youth tobacco use at the lowest level it has been in 25 years, Wimmer said, though it’s a number, he says, "is too high."

Adult smokers by state

By the numbers:

The average percentage per state of adults who smoke is 12.6%.

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States with the most adult smokers

By the numbers:

The states with the most smokers are: 

• West Virginia 20.4%
• Kentucky 17.4%
• Tennessee 17%
• Oklahoma 15.8%
• Louisiana 15.7%

States with the least adult smokers

By the numbers:

The states with the least smokers: 

• Utah 6%
• Connecticut 8.4%
• California 8.5%
• Hawaii 9%
• Washington 9%

Smoking "report card"

Dig deeper:

The 2025 "State of Tobacco Control" report grades states and the District of Columbia in five areas that have been proven to prevent and reduce tobacco use and save lives, including smoking in the workplace, sale of flavored tobacco, funding for tobacco prevention programs, level of state tobacco taxes and coverage and access to services to quit tobacco. 

California, the District of Columbia and Massachusetts were the best-graded states.

Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Texas rated the worst, scoring Fs in all five categories. 

Maryland was the most improved state. 

See the full report and gradings here.