PHOM Indicator Profile Report of Smoking Among Adults

Why Is This Important?

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the United States. In Utah, smoking claims more than 1,300 lives each year. It causes or worsens nearly every chronic condition and contributes to the primary causes of death in Utah including heart disease, respiratory disease, and cancer. Smoking increases the risk for cancer of the lungs, larynx, esophagus, mouth, and bladder and contributes to cancer of the cervix, pancreas, and kidneys. Exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk of heart disease and lung cancer among nonsmokers.

A new weighting methodology that better represents populations of low socioeconomic status and added cell phone interviews produced a higher estimated smoking rate for Utah adults compared to previous estimates that were based on post-stratification by age, sex, and local health district.

Data Notes

Age-adjusted to U.S. 2000 population. Note: At the time of this update, the BRFSS U.S. dataset did not include an age variable but did include five age categories up to age 80+ (vs. the typical weighting scheme that includes 85+). Comparisons with both weighting schemes were compared using Utah data, and the difference was about 1/100 of a percentage point.

Risk Factors

Cigarette smoking is more common among persons with lower levels of formal education and among those in lower income groups.

How Are We Doing?

The Utah adult smoking rate has decreased significantly since the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Tobacco Prevention and Control Program started receiving Master Settlement Agreement funds in 2000. People with lower household incomes and fewer years of formal education report higher rates of tobacco use than the general population. Approximately 70% of Utah adults who smoke cigarettes intend to quit within the next year. Comprehensive and free tobacco cessation services help Utahns who use tobacco products quit successfully and ensure declines in tobacco use rates across population groups.

What Is Being Done?

The Tobacco Prevention and Control Program (TPCP) at the Utah Department of Health and Human Services and its partners use comprehensive programs to prevent young people from starting to use tobacco, help tobacco users quit, promote tobacco-free environments, and reduce tobacco-related disparities. These programs include an extensive anti-tobacco marketing campaign, free and confidential tobacco cessation services, school- and community-based prevention programs, and efforts to improve tobacco-free policies. These policies support tobacco-free norms and protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke. The marketing campaign uses television, radio, billboard, print, and online media to reach youth, adults, pregnant women, racial and ethnic minorities, and rural populations with anti-tobacco messages. The goals of the campaign are to counter tobacco industry promotions, inform Utahns about quitting services, and support local tobacco control efforts. Quit services available to Utahns are accessible through the Utah tobacco cessation website, [http://www.waytoquit.org], and include a toll-free Tobacco Quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW), individual services that allow tobacco users to choose from a combination of quit medications, e-mail, chat, or text messages, and print materials, and a web-based tobacco cessation program. The TPCP also partners with community health clinics to offer counseling services for uninsured or under-insured tobacco users. Efforts to protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke focus on strengthening tobacco-free policies in apartment complexes, workplaces, schools, and outdoor venues frequented by children.