Summary
Authors of the report provide data on California's diverse smoking population with smoking products being offered in a variety of forms, from tobacco to hookah to electronic smoking devices. Using 2014-2016 data from the California Health Interview Survey and other sources, the report shows highly vulnerable population groups including those with psychological distress, persons with disabilities, low income, and low educational attainment continue to have very high rate of cigarette use. Additionally, African Americans, American Indians, certain ethnic-specific Asian (e.g., Korean, Vietnamese) males, gender and sexually diverse groups, and rural populations have very high rates of smoking.
On teen smoking, report findings show overall teen tobacco use rate (13.6 percent) is comparable to cigarette smoking rate in 2010 (13.8 percent). The proliferation of tobacco product categories, flavored products, and the evolution in tobacco marketing appear to be fueling teens switching from traditional cigarettes to a new generation of tobacco products.
Publication Authors:
- California Department of Public Health, Chronic Disease Control Branch