Where Does NY Rank Among States with Most Smokers?

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Fact Checked by Pat McLoone

The 36th annual World No Tobacco Day will be held May 31.

The day, created by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1987, is intended to inform the public on the dangers of using tobacco and what people can do to live a healthier lifestyle.

WHO has reported that eight million deaths occur every year due to the consumption of tobacco and it is the leading cause of respiratory issues like pulmonary disease, tuberculosis and other lung diseases.

EmpireStakes.com took a step back from covering NY sportsbooks to research which states smoke the least and which ones smoke the most.

So, we took data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (CDC – 2021 BRFSS Survey Data and documentation).

With data from the report, EmpireStakes.com – your source for NY betting apps - ranked the U.S. states, according to the percentage of adults who reported “smoking at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and currently smoke daily or some days.”

Percentage of Adult Smokers Per State

Here are the results, from the state with the lowest concentration of adult smokers to the highest.

Note: Florida is not listed because there was not enough data collected for 2021 survey.
Rank State % of Adult Smokers
1 Utah 7.2
2 California 8.92
T3 Hawaii 10.1
T3 Maryland 10.1
5 Massachusetts 10.6
T6 New Jersey 10.7
T6 Washington 10.7
8 Connecticut 11.1
T9 Colorado 12.0
T9 Illinois 12.0
T9 New York 12.0
12 New Hampshire 12.3
T13 Oregon 12.4
T13 Rhode Island 12.4
T13 Virginia 12.4
T16 Arizona 13.1
T16 Texas 13.1
T18 Idaho 13.3
T18 New Mexico 13.3
T18 Wisconsin 13.3
T21 Delaware 13.4
T21 Minnesota 13.4
T21 Nebraska 13.4
T24 Montana 14.4
T24 North Carolina 14.4
T24 Pennsylvania 14.4
27 Iowa 14.6
28 Vermont 14.8
T29 Georgia 15.0
T29 North Dakota 15.0
31 South Dakota 15.3
T32 Nevada 15.5
T32 South Carolina 15.5
T34 Kansas 15.6
T34 Maine 15.6
36 Wyoming 16.4
37 Oklahoma 16.9
38 Michigan 17.0
39 Arkansas 17.1
40 Alabama 17.2
T41 Indiana 17.3
T41 Missouri 17.3
43 Ohio 18.0
44 Louisiana 19.5
T45 Kentucky 19.6
T45 Mississippi 19.6
47 Tennessee/td> 19.7
48 Arkansas 21.1
49 West Virginia 22.0

 

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New York Finishes in Top 10

The Empire State placed in a three-way tie with Colorado and Illinois for ninth place at 12%.

Neighboring Connecticut placed eighth (11.1%) and New Jersey finished in a two-way tie for sixth with Washington at 10.7%.

According to the New York State Department of Health, nearly 1.7 million adults in the state still smoke and cigarette smoking alone kills 28,200 adult New Yorkers annually.

To help quit smoking, call, text, or visit the free and confidential New York State Smokers' Quitline at 1-866-NYQUITS (1-866-697-8487), text (716) 309-4688 or visit online at https://www.nysmokefree.com/. The Quitline provides information, printed materials and expert coaching by phone, text, or online chat. Eligible New Yorkers who smoke cigarettes or vape tobacco or nicotine can receive starter kits of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).

And keep it right here for coverage of the state’s sports teams and the best NY betting promos.

Author

Lou Monaco

Lou Monaco had been East Coast Scene columnist for Gaming Today in Las Vegas since June 2019, covering the East Coast sportsbook scene with emphasis on NJ and PA. He also currently is a part-time writer for the high school sports department for NJ Advanced Media (NJ.com) in Iselin, NJ. Lou has over 30 years sports experience with previous stints at ESPN SportsTicker, Daily Racing Form and Oddschecker.

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