17% of adults in Travis County are smokers

We have adequate nutrition and achieve and maintain optimal physical and behavioral health.

Indicator: % of adults in Travis County who are smokers

Significance of Indicator: Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They estimate that smoking results in billions of dollars in cost to US residents as a result of medical expenditures and lost productivity. The Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department says that smoking also has environmental consequences as it takes an estimated ten years for a cigarette butt to decompose.

what the data tell us

In 2009, 17% of adults in Travis County reported being smokers. This is slightly lower than the percentage of smokers in Texas (19%) and the United States (18%).

Definition: Adults ages 18 and older who smoke everyday or some days and have smoked 100 cigarettes in their lifetime

Data Source: Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

Data Considerations: The BRFSS samples only adults who live in households with telephone landlines. Households without a landline are, on average, younger and/or have lower incomes. As a result, this data likely understates the actual smoking in our community. Three year data aggregates are used for Travis County and the State due to small sample sizes. Data was aggregated by the Austin Travis County Health and Human Services Department.

The Story Behind the indicator

Before the negative effects of smoking were generally known, smoking was most prevalent among wealthier people. Now data shows that smoking is more prevalent among those who earn less than $25,000 a year. A closer analysis of smoking data shows the highest rates of smoking among the young and among men. The Texas Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System shows higher rates of smoking among boys than girls in high schools. African American youth have the lowest rates of smoking and White youth have the highest. Smoking rates can be reduced by creating "smoke-free" environments. For example, smokers in a "no-smoke" workplace are 84% more likely to quit smoking than smokers in a workplace where smoking is allowed. To learn more about the story behind smoking in our community, click here.

Some local efforts to improve this indicator

The Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department received a $7.5 million "Communities Putting Prevention to Work" grant in 2010 from the Centers for Disease Control to reduce smoking in our community.
Austin Travis County Integral Care and Capital Metro recently approved tobacco-free policies.
Local hospitals and Central Health are referring smokers to free cessation resources.
The Austin Mayor's Fitness Council promotes physical activity, nutrition, healthy weight, and tobacco-free living.
The Austin Tobacco Prevention and Control Coalition works to promote smoking cessation.

A Closer look at the story behind the indicators

Smoking rates varied by income in 2009: 25% of people with incomes lower than $25,000, 18% of people with incomes between $25,000 and $49,999, and 10% of people with incomes of $50,000 or more.

% of Adults in the Austin-Round Rock MSA who are Current Smokers by Income

Definition: Adults ages 18 and older who smoke everyday or some days and has smoked 100 cigarettes in their lifetime by income

Data Source: Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

Data Considerations: The BRFSS samples only adults who live in households with telephone landlines. Households without a landline are, on average, younger and/or have lower incomes. As a result, this data likely understates the actual smoking in our community. Small sample sizes for MSA level data may contribute to fluctuations in local smoking trends.

Young persons ages 18-29 were much more likely to be smokers than adults in other age groups in 2009. Twenty-two percent of adults ages 18-29 were smokers compared to 13% of adults ages 30-64 and 6% of adults aged 65 and over.

Definition: Adults ages 18 and older who smoke everyday or some days and has smoked 100 cigarettes in their lifetime by age

Data Source: Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

Data Considerations: The BRFSS samples only adults who live in households with telephone landlines. Households without a landline are, on average, younger and/or have lower incomes. As a result, this data likely understates the actual smoking in our community. Small sample sizes for MSA level data may contribute to fluctuations in local smoking trends.

Men are much more likely to report being smokers than women. In 2009, 17% of men were smokers compared to only 9% of women.

% of Adults in the Austin-Round Rock MSA who are Current Smokers by Gender

Definition: Adults ages 18 and older who smoke everyday or some days and has smoked 100 cigarettes in their lifetime by gender

Data Source: Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

Data Considerations: The BRFSS samples only adults who live in households with telephone landlines. Households without a landline are, on average, younger and/or have lower incomes. As a result, this data likely understates the actual smoking in our community. Small sample sizes for MSA level data may contribute to fluctuations in local smoking trends.

One in ten students reported smoking cigarettes daily in 2009. There has been a steady decline in the percentage of students who have reported smoking cigarettes daily since 2001.

Definition: Percentage of students in grades 9‐12 who ever smoked cigarettes daily, that is, at least one cigarette every day for 30 days.

Data Source: Texas Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System

Data Considerations: The Texas Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System is a statewide survey of students. Sample sizes in this survey are not large enough to produce data specific to our community.

% of Students in Texas who Smoke Cigarettes Daily

Boys have been consistently more likely to report being smokers than girls over the past decade. In 2009, 11% of boys were smokers compared to 8% of girls.

% of Students in Texas who Smoke Cigarettes Daily by Gender

Definition: Percentage of students in grades 9‐12 who ever smoked cigarettes daily, that is, at least one cigarette every day for 30 days by gender

Data Source: Texas Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System

Over time, Black youth have been the least likely to report being smokers while White youth have been the most likely to report being smokers. In 2009, 5% of Black youth reported being smokers compared to 8% of Hispanic youth, 8% of youth from other racial/ethnic minorities, and 13% of White youth.

Definition: Percentage of students in grades 9‐12 who ever smoked cigarettes daily, that is, at least one cigarette every day for 30 days by race and ethnicity

Data Source: Texas Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System

% of Students in Texas who Smoke Cigarettes Daily by Race/Ethnicty

High school students are more likely to report using tobacco daily than middle school students. The percentage of high school student who report using tobacco daily has declined since 2004. The percentage of middle school students who report using tobacco daily has remained stagnant 2004.

% of AISD Students who Report Using Tobacco Daily

Definition: Percentage of students in high school and middle school in the Austin Independent School District that report using tobacco everyday

Data Source: Austin Independent School District, Department of Program Evaluation

Data Considerations: This data is self-reported and may understate the actual tobacco use levels of AISD students.