Surgeon General’s Reports on Smoking and Tobacco Use

The first report of the Surgeon General’s Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health was released in 1964. It was a landmark first step to diminish the impact of tobacco use on the health of the American people. Over the course of more than 40 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health has been responsible for 34 reports on the health consequences of smoking. Learn more about the History of the Surgeon General’s Reports on Smoking and Tobacco Use.

2020—Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General

The first Surgeon General’s report on smoking cessation in 20 years, this report emphasizes that one of the most important actions people can take to improve their health is to quit smoking, regardless of their age or how long they have been smoking. This report also highlights the latest scientific evidence on the health benefits of quitting smoking, as well as proven treatments and strategies to help people successfully quit smoking.

Download the full 2020 Surgeon General’s report [PDF – 10MB] or Executive Summary [PDF – 305KB]. Individual chapters, consumer guides, fact sheets, infographics, and videos can be found here.

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2016—E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General

This is the first report issued by a Federal agency to comprehensively review the public health issue of electronic cigarettes and their impact on our nation’s young people. The report highlights the rapidly changing patterns of e-cigarette use among youth and young adults, assesses what is known about the health effects of using these products, and describes strategies that tobacco companies use to recruit youth and young adults to try and continue using e-cigarettes. The report also outlines interventions that can be adopted to minimize the harm these products cause to our nation’s youth.

Download the full 2016 Surgeon General’s Report or Executive Summary. Find media and communications resources such as individual chapters, consumer guides, fact sheets, infographics, and videos.

All Tobacco Related Reports of the Surgeon General
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Featured Past Reports
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2014—The Health Consequences of Smoking: 50 Years of Progress

This report highlights the progress our nation has made reducing tobacco use in the 50 years since the first Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health. It outlines the continuing burden of disease and death caused by smoking, and identifies additional diseases and conditions causally related to secondhand smoke exposure.

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2012—Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults

This report adds to our knowledge about the prevalence, causes, effects, and implications of tobacco use by young people. It details the factors that lead youth and young adults to initiate tobacco use, and the devastating health and economic impact of that decision on our nation as well as on individuals, their families, and their communities. This report also identifies proven, effective strategies that have the potential to dramatically reduce tobacco use.

Person holding cigarette and x-ray image of lungs
2010—How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease

This report is a comprehensive, scientific discussion of how tobacco smoke, including secondhand smoke exposure, damages the human body. The report focuses on cigarettes and cigarette smoke to show how cigarettes cause addiction and death and includes effective interventions for tobacco control and prevention.

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2006—The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke

This report  updates the evidence about the harmful effects of involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke. It shows that smoke-free policies are the most economical and effective approach for providing protection from exposure to secondhand smoke. Research indicates that the progressive restriction of smoking in the United States to protect people who do not smoke has had the additional health impact of reducing the number of people who smoke.