Title: Tobacco Use by Geographic Region | Smoking & Tobacco Use | CDC
Headings: Tobacco Use by Geographic Region
Tobacco Use by Geographic Region
Tobacco Use Prevalence
Patterns of Tobacco Use
Health Effects
Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and other lung diseases.1
Secondhand Smoke Exposure
Quitting Behavior
Tobacco Industry Marketing and Influence
Resources
Websites
References

Content: 3
Health Effects
Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and other lung diseases.1
The highest rates of death attributable to smoking occur in the southern states of Kentucky and West Virginia. 1
People living in rural areas have 18–20% higher rates of lung cancer than people living in urban areas. 4
Lung cancer incidence is highest in the South (76.0%) and lowest in the West (58.8%). 5
Coronary heart disease and stroke rates are higher in the South than in other regions. 6,7
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hospitalization risk is higher among people living in regions of Appalachia, the southern Great Lakes, the Mississippi Delta, the Deep South, and West Texas. 8
American Indians or Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) living in the Northern Plains region and in Alaska have the highest smoking prevalence among AI/ANs, and also the highest rates of lung cancer and heart disease. 9
Secondhand Smoke Exposure
Local smokefree laws vary significantly by geographic region and by the different communities within them. In some states, communities having residents with less education and lower incomes are less likely to be covered by comprehensive smoke-free laws that prohibit smoking in all areas of workplaces, restaurants, and bars. 10
In some states, urban areas and areas with high per-capita income are more likely to have strong smokefree laws. 10
Residents of rural areas are more likely to allow smoking in the presence of children in their homes and cars.