Smokeless Tobacco Product Use in the United States

At a glance

Learn more about smokeless tobacco product use in the United States.

Overview

This fact sheet provides information on how many people use smokeless tobacco. It also describes what the U.S. government has done to protect the public's health from the harmful effects of smokeless tobacco use.

Adult smokeless product tobacco use (national)

Characteristics of adults who currently used smokeless tobacco in 2021:1

  • About 2 in every 100 (2.1%) adults aged 18 or older reported current use of smokeless tobacco products. This represents 5.2 million adults.
  • About 4 in every 100 (4.2%) men currently used smokeless tobacco.
  • Less than 1 in every 100 (0.2%) women currently used smokeless tobacco.

Among racial and ethnic groups, non-Hispanic White adults had the highest prevalence of smokeless tobacco use. Nearly 3 of every 100 (2.9%) non-Hispanic White adults currently used smokeless tobacco.

Note: In the list above, "current use of smokeless tobacco" means using chewing tobacco, snuff, dip, snus, or dissolvable tobacco at least once during their lifetime. At the time of the survey, it means using at least one of these products "every day" or "some days." The survey was conducted among persons aged 18 and older.

Adult smokeless tobacco product use (by region)

  • In 2021, the percentage of adults who reported current use of smokeless tobacco was 3.2% among people living in the Midwest, 2.3% in the South, 1.6% in the West, and 1.2% in the Northeast.1

Adult smokeless tobacco product use (state-specific)

In 2022, the percentage of adults who reported current smokeless tobacco use was highest in:2

  • West Virginia: about 5 in every 100 people (5.4%).
  • Wyoming: about 5 in every 100 people (5.2%).
  • Montana: About 5 in every 100 people (5.1%).
  • Mississippi: About 4 in every 100 people (4.2%).

In 2022, the percentage of adults who reported current smokeless tobacco use was lowest in:2

  • Rhode Island: Less than 1 in every 100 people (0.5%).
  • California, Delaware, Maryland: Less than 1 in every 100 people (0.6%).
  • Connecticut, New Jersey, New York: Less than 1 in every 100 people (0.7%).

Note: In the list above, "current smokeless tobacco" means using chewing tobacco, snuff, dip, snus, or dissolvable tobacco at least once during their lifetime. At the time of the survey, it means using at least one of these products "every day" or "some days." The survey was conducted among persons aged 18 and older.

Youth smokeless tobacco product use

The table below shows the percentage of high school students currently using smokeless tobacco in 2023.

Group of smiling adolescents outdoors
“Current smokeless tobacco product use” means using chewing tobacco, snuff, dip, snus, or dissolvable tobacco at least once during their lifetime and, at the time of the survey, using at least one of these products “every day” or “some days.”
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Smokeless tobacco product use among high school students

High School Students in 20233
  • Current Use of Smokeless Tobacco
Overall
  • 1.5%
Males
  • 2.1%
Females
  • –%
White non-Hispanic
  • 1.7%
Hispanic
  • 1.7%
American Indian/Alaska Native
  • –%
Black or African American
  • –%
Multiracial
  • –%
Total
  • 1.2%

Notes for the table above:

  • Percentages represent approximately how many people in every 100 people use smokeless tobacco products. For example, 2.1% represents approximately 2 in every 100 people.
  • "Current use of smokeless tobacco" means using chewing tobacco, snuff, dip, or snus on 1 or more of the 30 days before participation in the survey about this topic.
  • A statistically reliable estimate of percent of female, American Indian and Alaska Native, Black non-Hispanic, and multiracial high school students who currently used smokeless tobacco in 2023 could not be calculated.
  • Dashes indicate that data were statistically unreliable because of an unweighted denominator <50 or a relative SE >30%.

Multiple product use

  • In 2021, nearly 2 of every 25 (7.9%) adults who reported currently using two or more tobacco products reported smoking cigarettes and using smokeless tobacco. Nearly 1 of every 10 (9.3%) of young adults (ages 18–24 years) who currently smoked cigarettes also reported current use of smokeless tobacco.4
  • In 2023, among high school students, 3.9% (610,000) indicated that they used multiple tobacco products.3
  • According to a 2016 report, use of both cigarettes and smokeless tobacco (dual use) was associated with switching to smokeless tobacco to try to quit smoking cigarettes.5
  • Using smokeless tobacco products with or instead of cigarettes is not healthy, as smokeless tobacco can cause many negative health effects.

Additional information: Smokeless Tobacco Products, Including Dip, Snuff, Snus, and Chewing Tobacco | FDA

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Content Source:
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; Office on Smoking and Health
  1. Cornelius ME, Loretan CG, Jamal A, et al. Tobacco Product Use Among Adults — United States, 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72(18):475–483.
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System: Prevalence and Trends Data. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/brfssprevalence/index.html
  3. Birdsey J, Cornelius M, Jamal A, et al. Tobacco Product Use Among US Middle and High School Students — National Youth Tobacco Survey, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023; 72(44);1173–1182.
  4. U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services. Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2020. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2020-cessation-sgr-full-report.pdf
  5. Kalkhoran S, Glantz SA. E-cigarettes and smoking cessation in real-world and clinical settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Respir Med. 2016;4(2):116–128.