How Many Minnesotans Say They’re Now Smokers?

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It's still the leading cause of death and disability in the country, so just how many adults in Minnesota say they still smoke?

For decades now, the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has compiled statistic after statistic about just how bad smoking is for your health. They don't pull any punches on their latest survey, either noting:

Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States, accounting for more than 480,000 deaths every year, or about 1 in 5 deaths.

And when it comes to adults who still smoke, the Land of 10,000 Lakes is one of the worst states in the country. Well, if you're a smoker, maybe Minnesota is one of the BEST states in the country because the rate of Minnesotans who say they still smoke is above the national average.  But just how many Minnesotans say they now smoke here in 2024?

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The CDC says that in 2021, nearly 12 of every 100 adults (those aged 18 years or older) here in the U.S. currently smoke cigarettes. That works out to a rate of 11.5 percent and also means that an estimated 28.3 million adults in the United States currently light up a cigarette. That's down from the previous national average of nearly 21 percent, which was recorded most recently in 2005.

Here in the North Star State, however, our smoking rate is well above the national 11.5 percent. In fact, this story from 24/7 Tempo says that according to the CDC's latest survey of over 16,000 adults in Minnesota, 15.1 percent say they still smoke.

Now while that rate IS still above average, it's actually the lowest among our neighboring states here in the upper Midwest. The CDC says Wisconsin's smoking rate is 16.4 percent, while it's 16.6 percent down in Iowa. The smoking rate is even higher in the Dakotas, with South Dakota's rate coming in at 19.1 percent, while North Dakota's rate was a flat 19 percent.

Overall, more men in Minnesota smoke (13 percent) compared to women (10 percent.) When it comes to age groups, Minnesotans aged 25 to 44 and 45 to 64 smoked the most, while those Gopher State residents between the ages of 18 and 24 had the lowest smoking rate.

Of course, while smoking isn't good for your health, there are some other things in our fine state that can be downright dangerous, too. Keep scrolling to see just which highways have been ranked as the most fatal here in Minnesota.

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