Home > Archived: Adults (age 25 or older) with a high school education or less who smoke cigarettes

Archived: Adults (age 25 or older) with a high school education or less who smoke cigarettes

Supplemental Information

June 2015

Why is this a priority?

Tobacco use remains the number one preventable cause of early death in Washington. Nearly 8,000 people die every year in Washington from tobacco-related illnesses. We have seen a decline in smoking overall. However, disparities in use, exposure and tobacco-related diseases and conditions persist. Education level is one area where we continue to see significant differences in tobacco use.

How are we doing?

In 2013-2015, about 23.9% of adults with a high school education or less smoked. This number is higher than the overall percentage of adults who smoke. Read more about Tobacco-Related Disparities in Washington State.

What are we working on?

Creating smoke-free places.

  • Reducing the number and density of tobacco retailers in low-income neighborhoods.
  • Educating communities on the importance of having and enforcing rules that ban smoking and other tobacco use in public places like worksites, public housing, schools, colleges, and parks.

Helping people quit.

  • Funding the Washington Tobacco Quitline that helps people quit smoking: 1-800-QUIT-NOW or 1-800-784-8669.
  • Implementing SmartQuit, our new, free research-based Smartphone app to help people stop smoking. This program was created by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is three times more effective than trying to quit on your own. We have 1900 free downloads through funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
How can you help?

Try to stop smoking and encourage the same of your friends and family members. If you need help quitting, call the Washington State Quitline at 1-800-784-8669 or visit our website . You can now also download the new SmartQuit app.

Reported by: Department of Health