Health
Cigarette smoking in America plummets to historic single-digit low, new study finds
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The percentage of American adults who smoke cigarettes has dropped to the lowest level ever recorded, according to a new study.
About 9.9% of U.S. adults reported smoking cigarettes in 2024, a drop from 10.8% in 2023, according to an analysis of National Health Interview Survey data published Tuesday in the journal NEJM Evidence.
The findings mark the first time the adult smoking rate in the U.S. has fallen to the single digits, a milestone public health officials have pursued for decades.
The decline suggests the U.S. may be moving closer to the Healthy People 2030 goal — a national public health target — of reducing adult smoking to 6.1%.
SMOKING JUST TWO CIGARETTES A DAY CAN WREAK HAVOC ON YOUR HEART, STUDY SHOWS
“If this decline continues, the target might be met or exceeded by 2030,” the researchers, led by Israel Agaku, an Atlanta-based public health researcher and professor, wrote in the paper.
The percentage of U.S. adults who smoke cigarettes fell to 9.9% in 2024, the lowest level ever recorded, according to a new study. (iStock)
But the milestone does not mean tobacco use has disappeared. About 25.2 million adults still smoke cigarettes — the most commonly used tobacco product in the United States — while nearly 47.7 million adults, or 18.8% of the population, use at least one tobacco product, including cigarettes, cigars or e-cigarettes, according to the researchers.
The study analyzed responses from more than 29,500 adults in 2023 and 32,600 adults in 2024 who participated in the National Health Interview Survey, a nationally representative household survey and the most recent national data available on adult tobacco use.
DOCTORS REVEAL WHAT ‘REASONABLE’ DRINKING LOOKS LIKE — AND WHO SHOULD AVOID ALCOHOL
The drop in cigarette smoking helped drive a decline in overall combustible tobacco use, which includes cigarettes and cigars. About 12.6% of adults used combustible tobacco in 2024, down from 13.5% the year prior, according to the study.
The use of other tobacco products such as e-cigarettes remained largely unchanged. (iStock)
However, the prevalence of other tobacco products — including e-cigarettes and cigars — did not significantly change between 2023 and 2024, according to the study.
STUDY CHALLENGES NEGATIVE CANNABIS STEREOTYPES, CLAIMING LINK TO BRAIN BENEFITS
“The lack of change in cigar and e-cigarette use calls for intensified implementation of comprehensive tobacco control policies addressing all products,” the researchers wrote.
The study also found that tobacco use was not evenly distributed across the population.
Tobacco use was higher among certain occupational groups, including adults working in agriculture, construction and manufacturing. (iStock)
Men reported significantly higher tobacco use than women, with just over 24% of men using at least one tobacco product compared with nearly 14% of women, according to the study.
NEARLY 40% OF CANCERS CAN BE PREVENTED WITH 3 LIFESTYLE CHANGES, STUDY FINDS
Tobacco use was also higher among certain demographic and occupational groups, particularly adults in industries such as agriculture, construction and manufacturing.
The highest tobacco use was reported among people with a general educational development certificate at 42.8%, as well as rural residents, low-income individuals and people with disabilities.
Young adults were more likely to use e-cigarettes than traditional cigarettes. Nearly 15% of adults ages 18 to 24 reported using e-cigarettes, compared with 3.4% who smoked cigarettes, according to the study.
Some experts note the findings reflect a shift in nicotine use rather than a disappearance of addiction.
Young adults were more likely to use e-cigarettes than traditional cigarettes, according to the study. (iStock)
John Puls, a psychotherapist and addiction specialist who runs Full Life Comprehensive Care in Boca Raton, Florida, said the trend away from cigarettes but continued use of tobacco and e-cigarettes mirrors what he sees with patients.
“Most of my patients use e-cigarettes and various vape products,” Puls, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “They’re easier to conceal, can be used almost anywhere and deliver a much more powerful nicotine dose.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
Cigarette smoking, on the other hand, is “more socially unacceptable than it has ever been,” he added. “I work with many patients who are addicted to nicotine, and the vast majority have never smoked a cigarette.”
Public health officials emphasize that no tobacco product is considered safe. (iStock)
Puls said this pattern is especially common among adolescents and young adults and is concerning because cigarettes typically deliver about 1 to 2 milligrams of nicotine, while some vape products can contain 20 to 60 milligrams.
“There’s also a perception that e-cigarettes are a safer form of smoking, which is contributing to the decline in cigarette smoking,” Puls added.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Health officials stress that no tobacco product is safe, including e-cigarettes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S. and is responsible for about one in three cancer deaths, the agency says.
Public health officials say quitting support, smoke-free laws and tobacco taxes are key tools for reducing smoking rates. (iStock)
Overall, sustained public health measures — including smoke-free laws, tobacco taxes and access to quitting support — remain critical to further reducing tobacco use, the researchers noted.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The study had several limitations, including changes to how smokeless tobacco has been defined over the survey years, reliance on self-reported data and less reliable estimates for some smaller subgroups.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Agaku for comment.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The old saying that laughter is the best medicine may be true, according to new research that suggests it is also a vital catalyst for children’s development.
Laughter and play are fundamental to healthy brain growth, emotional well-being and social bonding, according to Jacqueline Harding, Ph.D., an early childhood expert at Middlesex University in London.
In her book, “The Brain That Loves to Laugh,” Harding argues that joy is a complex biological phenomenon that helps children navigate stress and build more resilient, receptive minds, news agency SWNS reported.
HAPPIER AND HEALTHIER PEOPLE DO THESE 7 THINGS EVERY DAY, SAYS WELLNESS EXPERT
“When we see children laugh, we witness the brilliance of the brain in action: learning, connecting and growing,” Harding told SWNS.
“Hope and humor, it seems, are not just the seasoning of life, but foundational to a recipe for healthy development.”
Laughter alters internal chemistry by decreasing stress hormones and boosting feel-good chemicals like serotonin, experts say. (iStock)
Laughter activates broad brain networks, including motor regions and the prefrontal cortex, long before children learn to speak. By helping the brain resolve conflicting ideas, it boosts creativity and engages working memory, acting as a “mental workout,” experts say.
At a molecular level, laughter alters the internal chemistry by decreasing stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine. It also increases “happiness chemicals” like dopamine, serotonin and endorphins.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
Additionally, laughter is known to boost oxytocin, which deepens emotional bonds between parents and children.
Prolonged stress does the exact opposite: It impairs learning, suppresses immune function and alters the developing limbic system, which governs emotion and long-term memory, according to SWNS.
Prolonged stress can negatively impact not only children’s mental well-being, but their physical state as well. (iStock)
“Stated simply, the emotional state of young children directly influences how they navigate their way through the world,” Harding said.
Parents can foster these benefits through moments of spontaneous play and joyful connection, the expert advised.
“Spontaneous, joyful play is an antidote to stress.”
These interactions do more than spark laughter — they help children develop emotional regulation, strengthen feelings of safety and connection, and support social and cognitive development, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
“Spontaneous, joyful play is an antidote to stress, as it increases levels of endorphins released by the brain,” Harding said. “Creative, happy play does its most brilliant work at a molecular level, especially at a time when the human brain is at its most receptive.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
This shared joy also establishes “co-regulation,” where a child learns to manage their own stress by drawing on a biological store of positive early experiences.
Spontaneous, joyful play is an antidote to stress, as it increases levels of endorphins released by the brain, the expert said. (iStock)
Harding advocates for integrating humor directly into classrooms to reduce cognitive load and improve how children retain key concepts.
By uplifting the nervous system, joy creates an optimal environment for information absorption, as the SWNS piece noted.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“Safe relationships and non-stressful play environments promote learning,” she added.
“The curriculum must never be prioritized over those two fundamental factors.”
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
People who incorporate strength training into their weekly routines may be more likely to live longer, according to a new study.
Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health analyzed data from 147,374 adults and found that people who engaged in moderate amounts of resistance training had a lower risk of dying from several major causes, including heart disease and neurological disease.
The findings were published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
OLDER ADULTS SHOULD TARGET THESE MUSCLES WHEN STRENGTH-TRAINING, SAYS FITNESS PRO
People who performed between 90 and 119 minutes of resistance training per week had a 13% lower risk of death from any cause compared to those who did no strength training.
The same group also experienced a 19% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 27% lower risk of death from neurological diseases, most of which were related to dementia.
A new study found that adults who regularly engage in moderate strength training may live longer. (iStock)
Researchers found that the greatest benefit occurred when resistance training was combined with aerobic exercise.
Adults who regularly participated in both forms of exercise had up to a 45% lower risk of death than those who did little aerobic activity and no resistance training.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
However, more exercise was not necessarily better.
The study found no additional reduction in mortality risk beyond about 120 minutes of resistance training per week.
The research followed participants for up to 30 years and repeatedly tracked their exercise habits over time, giving researchers a more complete picture of long-term behavior.
Researchers found that the greatest health benefits were seen among people who combined weightlifting with aerobic exercise. (iStock)
Josephine Hunt, an educational leader, former group fitness instructor and founder of The Resilience Revolution based in New Jersey, who was not involved in the study, said the findings support a growing body of research linking strength training to healthy aging.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“The conversation about longevity often focuses on living longer, but I believe the more important goal is maintaining the strength, mobility, independence, and vitality to fully participate in life as we age,” Hunt told Fox News Digital.
Hunt said resistance training helps preserve muscle mass and bone density, improves balance and supports overall physical function as people get older.
For women, she noted, strength training becomes especially important after menopause, when muscle mass and bone density can decline more rapidly.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
“Resistance training is not about bodybuilding, appearance, or achieving a certain physique,” Hunt said.
Experts say longevity is not just about living longer, but staying strong, mobile and independent with age. (iStock)
“It is about preserving the ability to live life on your own terms.”
She added that strength training can help people remain independent, recover from illness or injury, travel more easily and stay active later in life.
Researchers noted that the study has limitations.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
While the findings suggest a connection between strength training and a lower risk of death, the study cannot prove that lifting weights was the reason participants lived longer.
The study also relied on self-reported exercise habits and primarily included white, middle-aged and older health professionals, which may limit how broadly the findings apply to the general population.
A look back at the medical miracles of 2025
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to highlight 2025 breakthroughs, from a pineapple-derived burn cream to a newly approved heart procedure.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A new “living bandage” could soon revolutionize how doctors treat serious injuries by accelerating the healing process, according to new research reported by SWNS.
The high-tech patch was developed by researchers at Rice University in Texas. It acts like an around-the-clock mini factory, continuously delivering healing proteins directly to different types of wounds, the same source noted.
Caring for chronic wounds is often a challenge for doctors, as it’s difficult to deliver steady, localized signals that tell the body to repair its own tissue, the researchers said.
POPULAR FRUIT MAY HELP PROTECT YOUR SKIN FROM THE SUN, NEW STUDY SUGGESTS
The body naturally relies on small chemical messengers called cytokines to control inflammation and healing. However, traditional treatments like ointments or injections usually fail, as fragile proteins break down too quickly or wash away from the injury site.
To solve the problem, the research team created a cell-based patch that stays on top of the wound. Inside the device, scientists placed engineered cells programmed to manufacture and secrete three specific healing cytokines, known as IL-10, IL-12 and Transforming Growth Factor-beta.
A living bandage patch delivers healing proteins from engineered cells to accelerate wound healing, according to new research by American scientists. (Jared Jones/Rice University/SWNS)
These cells are safely housed inside protective material that acts like a shield — letting vital nutrients and therapeutic proteins pass through to the skin while keeping the body’s immune system from attacking the engineered cells inside.
The system also uses a special hydrogel that helps the patch blend naturally with the wound, SWNS reported. It may be updated eventually, the research team indicated, to work alongside electronic components.
HEART ATTACK DAMAGE REVERSED WITH INJECTABLE RNA THERAPY, STUDY FINDS
In lab tests on rodents and pigs, the patch successfully accelerated wound healing. By analyzing the genetic material of the cells, the researchers confirmed the treatment successfully activated the processes needed for tissue repair.
Professor Omid Veiseh, faculty director of the Rice Biotech Launch Pad and leader of the laboratory development, said the animal trials showed strong potential for the approach.
“By maintaining a consistent presence of these signaling molecules at the wound site, we can more effectively engage the body’s natural healing response,” the scientists said. (iStock)
“The findings show how continuous, localized cytokine delivery can support key biological pathways involved in tissue repair,” Veiseh said, according to SWNS.
SURGEONS KEEP MAN ALIVE WITHOUT LUNGS, PAVING NEW PATH TO TRANSPLANT
“By maintaining a consistent presence of these signaling molecules at the wound site, we can more effectively engage the body’s natural healing response.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
He said genetic analysis “revealed coordinated upregulation of genes associated with tissue regeneration and immune modulation, providing a mechanistic basis for the functional improvements observed.”
Researcher Elizabeth Kelley of Rice University holds a cytokine-secreting patch designed to accelerate wound healing by delivering healing proteins from engineered cells continuously. (Jared Jones/Rice University/SWNS)
The platform is fully customizable, so the engineered cells can easily be adapted to produce different combinations of proteins and growth factors, depending on what each individual patient needs.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Study co-author Christian Schreib, Ph.D., noted that “the ability to tune both the type and timing of cytokine delivery opens the door to more precise control over the healing process.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Schreib said that “future work will focus on expanding the flexibility of the platform, including approaches such as optogenetic control” — using light to control cell activity — “to regulate cytokine secretion in real time.”
The technology is still in an early stage and has not yet been tested on human patients.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Further research is needed to understand how the technology will be used on humans.
The study was published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.
-
Boston, MA38 seconds agoWorld Cup 2026 travel guide: Boston
-
Denver, CO6 minutes agoDenver Ventures says ‘far-fetched’ lawsuit ‘nothing more than a smear campaign’
-
Seattle, WA13 minutes agoPublic Art Plays the Long Game for the World Cup in Seattle
-
San Diego, CA16 minutes agoThere’s a better way to fund push for more filming in San Diego region
-
Milwaukee, WI21 minutes agoMilwaukee Common Council hearing on public safety Monday
-
Atlanta, GA28 minutes agoDecatur unveils new $8 million town square ahead of World Cup events
-
Minneapolis, MN30 minutes agoMinnesota 4th of July fireworks: Where to watch
-
Indianapolis, IN36 minutes ago3 Biggest Winners of Colts’ OTAs
