Millions of U.S. adults still smoke, including people who use cigarettes alone and those who also use e-cigarettes. This page highlights key facts on quitting support, including counseling and FDA-approved medications like nicotine replacement therapy, varenicline, and bupropion. You’ll also see evidence on how combining counseling with pharmacotherapy improves quit outcomes, plus reach rates from the National Quitline and the broader health and economic stakes.
Key Takeaways
- 15.1% of U.S. adults aged 18+ were current cigarette smokers in 2016–2018
- The CDC reports 1 in 5 smokers use behavioral support for quitting (survey-based; share using counseling)
- 3.1% of U.S. adults were current smokers who used both cigarettes and e-cigarettes (2016–2022 estimate)
- A systematic review found that adding counseling to pharmacotherapy increases smoking cessation rates
- In 2021, the National Quitline had a 74% reach rate for follow-up (returned contacts percentage)
- In the U.S., the Quitline network provides services in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories
- Quitting smoking before age 50 reduces risk of premature death compared with continuing to smoke (pooled evidence reported in the NEJM study)
- WHO states that without tobacco control, tobacco will cause more than 8 million deaths per year by 2030
- The U.S. National Cancer Institute states that quitting smoking reduces health risks substantially within months and years (risk reduction timeline)
- US Surgeon General’s report on smoking cessation states that effective treatments include counseling and FDA-approved pharmacotherapy (including NRT, varenicline, and bupropion)
- The U.S. FDA lists nicotine replacement therapy products as first-line cessation aids (NRT)
- Varenicline (Chantix) was approved by FDA to help people quit smoking (2006 approval)
- In 2023, the global smoking cessation market was $1.8B (varied by definition; vendor/industry estimate), reflecting demand for cessation products
- In 2024, the U.S. smoking cessation products market was forecast to reach $3.1B (vendor market forecast)
- The global smoking cessation services market was estimated at $6.1B in 2023 (services market estimate)
Quitting with counseling and FDA approved aids can sharply boost success and cut smoking’s huge health costs.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Trends5 stats
01
The global tobacco cessation market was valued at $3.3 billion in 2024 (industry estimate; market size).
02
The U.S. smoking cessation products market is forecast to reach $3.1 billion in 2024 (industry forecast; products market size).
03
The U.S. market for nicotine replacement therapy products generated about $1.0 billion in 2023 (industry estimate; NRT product revenues).
04
The global nicotine replacement therapy market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 6% from 2024 to 2030 (industry forecast).
05
The European smoking cessation market is expected to reach $1.4 billion by 2030 (industry forecast; regional market size).
Interpretation
Market Trends Interpretation
Across market trends in tobacco cessation, the industry is still expanding with a global cessation market valued at $3.3 billion in 2024 and nicotine replacement therapy projected to grow about 6% CAGR from 2024 to 2030, indicating sustained demand for quitting aids worldwide.
02 · Category
Policy & Guidelines4 stats
01
US Surgeon General’s report on smoking cessation states that effective treatments include counseling and FDA-approved pharmacotherapy (including NRT, varenicline, and bupropion)
02
The U.S. FDA lists nicotine replacement therapy products as first-line cessation aids (NRT)
03
Varenicline (Chantix) was approved by FDA to help people quit smoking (2006 approval)
04
Bupropion SR (Zyban) approval by FDA for smoking cessation (1997 approval)
Interpretation
Policy & Guidelines Interpretation
Policy and guidelines on smoking cessation in the US emphasize evidence based support by highlighting counseling plus FDA approved medications and specifically naming nicotine replacement therapy as first line along with two FDA approved pharmacotherapies such as varenicline in 2006 and bupropion SR in 1997.
03 · Category
Health & Mortality3 stats
01
Quitting smoking before age 50 reduces risk of premature death compared with continuing to smoke (pooled evidence reported in the NEJM study)
02
WHO states that without tobacco control, tobacco will cause more than 8 million deaths per year by 2030
03
The U.S. National Cancer Institute states that quitting smoking reduces health risks substantially within months and years (risk reduction timeline)
Interpretation
Health & Mortality Interpretation
From a Health and Mortality perspective, quitting smoking before age 50 can cut premature death risk versus continuing to smoke while tobacco control could prevent more than 8 million deaths per year by 2030, and health risks start dropping within months and years after quitting.
More related reading
04 · Category
Market Size3 stats
01
In 2023, the global smoking cessation market was $1.8B (varied by definition; vendor/industry estimate), reflecting demand for cessation products
02
In 2024, the U.S. smoking cessation products market was forecast to reach $3.1B (vendor market forecast)
03
The global smoking cessation services market was estimated at $6.1B in 2023 (services market estimate)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
From a market size perspective, smoking cessation is clearly scaling with a reported $1.8B global smoking cessation market in 2023, a U.S. forecast of $3.1B for 2024, and even larger global services spending at $6.1B in 2023.
05 · Category
Policy & Costs3 stats
01
The U.S. Office on Smoking and Health estimates that more than 6.7 million adults alive today suffer from a disease caused by smoking (smoking-related disease burden).
02
Direct medical costs for smoking in the U.S. were estimated at $132 billion in 2021 (medical care).
03
A review in Health Economics found that smoking cessation pharmacotherapy generally has favorable cost-effectiveness, with many interventions falling below $50,000per QALY in modeled settings (economic evaluation summary).
Interpretation
Policy & Costs Interpretation
From a Policy & Costs perspective, smoking-related disease affects over 6.7 million U.S. adults and drives an estimated $132 billion in direct medical costs in 2021, while evidence shows cessation pharmacotherapy is generally cost-effective, making a strong financial case for policy-supported quitting interventions.
06 · Category
Industry Overview7 stats
01
In 2021, the National Quitline had a 74% reach rate for follow-up (returned contacts percentage)
02
In the U.S., the Quitline network provides services in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories
03
15.1% of U.S. adults aged 18+ were current cigarette smokers in 2016–2018
04
The CDC reports 1 in 5 smokers use behavioral support for quitting (survey-based; share using counseling)
05
3.1% of U.S. adults were current smokers who used both cigarettes and e-cigarettes (2016–2022 estimate)
06
A systematic review found that adding counseling to pharmacotherapy increases smoking cessation rates
07
In a large randomized trial, adding behavioral support to nicotine patch increased continuous abstinence at 6 months from 8.1% to 14.6% (absolute effect, intervention vs control).
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
The quitline industry is reaching many smokers, with the National Quitline achieving a 74% follow-up reach rate in 2021, while national data still show 15.1% of U.S. adults were current cigarette smokers in 2016 to 2018 and only about 1 in 5 smokers use behavioral support, underscoring why integrating counseling with treatment remains a key industry strategy supported by evidence.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Karl Becker. (2026, February 13). Quit Smoking Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/quit-smoking-statistics
MLA
Karl Becker. "Quit Smoking Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/quit-smoking-statistics.
Chicago
Karl Becker. 2026. "Quit Smoking Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/quit-smoking-statistics.
Sources & references
25 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+7 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)