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Health Indicator Report of Cigarette Smoking Among Adults

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death, leads to disease and disability, and harms nearly every organ of the body.[https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/index.htm ^1^]

Notes

**No NJBRFS data is available for 2019. All prevalence estimates are age-adjusted to the U.S. 2000 standard population. Prevalence estimates for 2011 and forward are consistent with those used to track the corresponding Healthy New Jersey 2020 objective (TU-1a) and are for adults aged 18 and over.

Data Sources

  • Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, Center for Health Statistics, New Jersey Department of Health, [http://www.state.nj.us/health/chs/njbrfs/]
  • U.S Data: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), Division of Population Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), [https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/index.html]

Data Interpretation Issues

Starting in 2011, BRFSS protocol requires that the NJBRFS incorporate a fixed quota of interviews from cell phone respondents along with a new weighting methodology called iterative proportional fitting or "raking". The new weighting methodology incorporates additional demographic information (such as education, race, and marital status) in the weighting process. These methodological changes were implemented to account for the underrepresentation of certain demographic groups in the land line sample (which resulted in part from the increasing number of U.S. households without land line phones). Comparisons between 2011 and prior years should therefore be made with caution. (More details about these changes can be found at [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6122a3.htm].) As with all telephone surveys, data may be subject to error resulting from non-coverage (e.g., non-coverage of some low socio-economic status populations and other households not using a land line), non-response (e.g., refusal to participate in the survey or answer specific questions), or measurement (e.g. social desirability or recall bias). Interviewer training and monitoring and strict adherence to good survey research protocols reduces error from these sources.

Definition

Percentage of adults aged 18 years and older who smoke cigarettes every day or some days

Numerator

Number of adults aged 18 years and older who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and who now report smoking cigarettes every day or some days

Denominator

Number of adults aged 18 years and older

Healthy People Objective: Reduce tobacco use by adults: Cigarette smoking

U.S. Target: 12.0 percent (age-adjusted)
State Target: 12.4 percent (age-adjusted)

Other Objectives

'''Revised Healthy New Jersey 2020 Objective TU-1a''': Reduce the proportion of the population who are current smokers (any use in past 30 days) adults aged 18+ years to 12.4% for the total population, 13.5% among Whites, 16.7% among Blacks, 9.6% among Hispanics, and 4.0% among Asians. '''Original Healthy New Jersey 2020 Objective TU-1a''': Reduce the proportion of the population who are current smokers (any use in past 30 days) adults aged 18+ years to 15.4% for the total population, 16.9% among Whites, 18.7% among Blacks, 12.2% among Hispanics, and 7.3% among Asians.

How Are We Doing?

Although New Jersey's smoking rates have decreased since its Master Settlement Agreement-funded programs were initiated, more than one million New Jersey adults continue to smoke. People with fewer years of formal education report higher rates of tobacco use compared to the general population. Comprehensive and free quitting services are needed to help New Jersey smokers quit and ensure a decline in tobacco use rates among all population groups.

What Is Being Done?

The [http://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/tobacco/ Office of Tobacco Control] at the New Jersey Department of Health and its partners use comprehensive programs to prevent the initiation of tobacco use among young people, to help tobacco users quit, to eliminate nonsmokers' exposure to secondhand smoke, and to reduce tobacco-related disparities. These programs include free quitting services, school- and community-based prevention programs and education regarding the [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2004/Bills/PL05/383_.HTM New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act].

Available Services

The New Jersey Quitline and New Jersey's online quitting program New Jersey QuitNet offer assistance in quitting tobacco use to New Jersey adults and teens. Referrals can also be made to New Jersey Quitcenters (low-cost face-to-face counseling clinics). For services and information call the New Jersey Quitline at 1-866-NJ-STOPS or visit New Jersey's online tobacco cessation support program at http://www.nj.quitnet.com.

Health Program Information

To receive more information about tobacco prevention and control programs in New Jersey, call the Office of Tobacco Control at (609) 984-3317. For information on quitting smoking, call the New Jersey Quitline at 1-866-NJ-STOPS or visit New Jersey's online tobacco cessation support program at [http://www.njquitline.org/].
Page Content Updated On 10/27/2022, Published on 10/27/2022
The information provided above is from the Department of Health's NJSHAD web site (https://nj.gov/health/shad). The information published on this website may be reproduced without permission. Please use the following citation: " Retrieved Tue, 19 March 2024 2:16:12 from Department of Health, New Jersey State Health Assessment Data Web site: https://nj.gov/health/shad ".

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