The American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout returns Thursday, November 19, encouraging people who smoke to quit or make a plan to quit. It arrives as preliminary CDC data show adult cigarette smoking fell to 9.1% in 2025 while e-cigarette use held at 6.7%, a shift local organizers are now building into their events.
Key Takeaways
- The Great American Smokeout falls on Thursday, November 19, 2026, the third Thursday of November.
- 9.1% of U.S. adults smoked cigarettes in 2025, down from 9.9% in 2024, according to preliminary CDC survey data.
- 6.7% of U.S. adults used e-cigarettes in 2025, compared with 3.7% in 2020.
- In 2024, 14.8% of adults ages 18 to 24 used e-cigarettes, while 3.4% smoked cigarettes.
- 7.2% of middle and high school students, about 2.01 million, reported current tobacco use in 2025, with e-cigarettes the leading product at 5.2%.
- Health departments and VA medical centers are adding vaping and lung cancer screening to their Smokeout events this year.
The Smokeout Returns on November 19
The Great American Smokeout is held on the third Thursday of November, which falls on November 19 this year. The American Cancer Society uses the day to encourage people who smoke to quit, or to make a plan to quit, starting that day.
The event began in California. On November 18, 1976, the American Cancer Society’s California Division helped nearly 1 million people quit smoking for a day, which ACS counts as the first official Smokeout. ACS took the event nationwide in 1977 and has held it on the third Thursday of November for almost 50 years. The Smokeout falls during Lung Cancer Awareness Month, which runs through November.
Adult Smoking Fell to 9.1% in 2025, According to Preliminary CDC Data
The Smokeout began when smoking was common. More than 42% of U.S. adults smoked in the mid-1960s. Preliminary results from the CDC’s 2025 National Health Interview Survey put current adult cigarette smoking at 9.1%, about 1 in 11 adults.
That continues a recent decline. An analysis of the same federal survey, published in NEJM Evidence, found adult smoking fell from 10.8% in 2023 to 9.9% in 2024, the first time the rate dropped below 10%. The 2025 preliminary data show the decline continuing within the year, from 9.4% in the first half to 8.8% in the second.
E-Cigarette Use Has Held Near 7% as Smoking Declined
Vaping is moving differently. CDC’s preliminary 2025 data put adult e-cigarette use at 6.7%, roughly level with 2024 but well above the 3.7% recorded in 2020. Use is concentrated among younger adults: in 2024, 14.8% of adults ages 18 to 24 used e-cigarettes, compared with 3.4% who smoked cigarettes.
The CDC notes that some adults use e-cigarettes to try to quit smoking, and that the Food and Drug Administration has not approved any e-cigarette as a quit-smoking aid. That distinction is one reason public health groups now include vaping in their Smokeout messaging.
Youth Tobacco Use Continued to Decline in 2025
Among middle and high school students, the 2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey, a nationally representative sample of 23,630 students in grades 6 through 12, found 7.2% reported current tobacco use, an estimated 2.01 million young people. E-cigarettes remained the most common product at 5.2%, followed by nicotine pouches at 1.7%, and 2.6% used combusted tobacco products. The FDA reported that youth use of tobacco overall, e-cigarettes and cigarettes declined between 2022 and 2025.
Local Organizers Are Adding Vaping to Smokeout Events
Smokeout events this year reflect that shift. In North Dakota, Bismarck State College and Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health are holding a “vape out” on November 19. Event names like that put e-cigarettes alongside cigarettes in the quit message.
VA medical centers are also using the day. The Orlando VA Healthcare System will hold Smokeout events from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at all its sites of care across Central Florida. The Nashville VA Medical Center is pairing the Smokeout with lung cancer screening awareness. The Wichita VA is offering information on quitting tobacco, its lung cancer screening program and quit kits, and the White River Junction VA in Vermont is hosting a health fair.
Why the Quit Message Still Matters
Lower rates still leave a large number of Americans affected. About 25 million adults smoked cigarettes in 2024, and roughly 48 million used at least one tobacco product. Cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke cause more than 480,000 U.S. deaths each year, nearly 1 in 5 deaths, according to the CDC and the American Cancer Society. The American Cancer Society offers quit resources through cancer.org/smokeout and by phone at 1-800-227-2345.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. The health statistics and survey findings cited are based on publicly available information from the CDC, FDA, and American Cancer Society. Individuals seeking help to quit smoking or vaping should consult a qualified healthcare professional for guidance on appropriate cessation methods.
FAQs
When is the Great American Smokeout 2026?
The Great American Smokeout is Thursday, November 19, 2026. The American Cancer Society holds it on the third Thursday of November each year.
What percentage of U.S. adults smoke cigarettes?
Preliminary CDC data show 9.1% of U.S. adults smoked cigarettes in 2025, down from 9.9% in 2024.
How many U.S. adults use e-cigarettes?
CDC’s preliminary 2025 data show 6.7% of U.S. adults used e-cigarettes. Among adults ages 18 to 24, 14.8% used e-cigarettes in 2024.
How many students use tobacco products?
The 2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey found 7.2% of middle and high school students, about 2.01 million, reported current tobacco use, with 5.2% using e-cigarettes.
When did the Great American Smokeout start?
The American Cancer Society counts November 18, 1976, in California as the first official Smokeout. ACS took the event nationwide in 1977.
