In a remarkable milestone for public health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that adult cigarette smoking has dropped to its lowest rate in 60 years. According to the CDC’s latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), just 11.2% of U.S. adults smoked cigarettes in 2022—a record low that reflects decades of public health progress and shifting attitudes about smoking.

You’d think this would be a moment of celebration. And it is—at least for tobacco control advocates who’ve spent years fighting to bring those numbers down.

But in typical CDC fashion, the good news comes with a cloud of skepticism aimed not at cigarettes—but at the very tools many adults are using to stop smoking.

📉 The Decline of Smoking: A Historic Win

The CDC data confirms that adult cigarette use has been on a consistent downward trend since the 1960s. Smoking-related diseases remain a leading cause of preventable death, but this sharp decline shows what’s possible when education, policy, and access to alternatives work together.

This is the moment public health experts have long dreamed of: fewer people lighting up, reduced secondhand smoke exposure, and improved long-term health outcomes for millions.

⚠️ Yet the CDC’s Focus Shifts to E-Cigs

Despite this historic victory, the CDC chose to highlight a different statistic in the same report: a rise in adult e-cigarette use, now at 6.7%. Instead of recognizing vaping’s role in driving down combustible cigarette use, the agency treated it as a new threat.

Worse yet, the CDC’s narrative seems to echo concerns pushed by Bloomberg-backed anti-vaping groups that have long opposed nicotine alternatives—even when used by adults trying to quit deadly smoking.

This misalignment in priorities is disappointing but not surprising.

🔄 Adults Are Switching—And That’s a Good Thing

What the CDC fails to acknowledge is that adult e-cigarette use has increased in tandem with falling smoking rates for a reason: vaping is helping people quit.

A growing body of research—including landmark studies from the UK, New Zealand, and Cochrane reviews—shows that e-cigarettes can be more effective than traditional nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) for many smokers.

By ignoring this evidence, U.S. agencies risk undermining harm reduction progress and confusing the public. Smoking is the enemy—not nicotine, and certainly not the tools that help people get away from burned tobacco.

🌍 Global Perspective: Harm Reduction Works

Other countries are embracing vaping and nicotine alternatives as a public health strategy. Suecia is on track to become the first “smoke-free” country in Europe, largely due to widespread snus and nicotine pouch use. In the UK, public health campaigns openly support switching from smoking to vaping.

Meanwhile, U.S. regulators continue to prioritize prohibitionist messaging over pragmatic solutions.

🧭 Where Do We Go From Here?

If the CDC is truly committed to reducing smoking-related harm, then it must begin to:

• Acknowledge the role of adult vaping in helping people quit combustible tobacco
• Stop lumping youth prevention with adult cessation tools
• Fund research and messaging that supports risk-proportionate strategies

Public health isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. And progress means meeting people where they are, offering real alternatives, and focusing on reducción de daños, not abstinence-only messaging.

✅ Reflexiones finales

The record-low adult smoking rate is something to be proud of. But instead of using this moment to double down on unproven fears about vaping, the CDC should seize the opportunity to build a more realistic, science-driven approach to nicotine use.

Smoking is dying—and harm reduction is helping. Let’s keep our focus where it belongs.

📊 Read the full CDC report here

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