How the Smoking Rate in Louisiana Compares to the Nation

(The Center Square) Nearly half a million Americans annually die as a result of smoking, the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Another 16 million Americans are living with a serious illness caused by smoking. Smoking also has an economic impact, including more than $225 billion each year spent on medical expenses to treat the smoking-related illness in the U.S. and over $156 billion in lost productivity.

Though the risks associated with smoking and tobacco use are well established and widely understood, 42.4 million American adults -- or 16.6% of the adult population -- smoke every day or most days and have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime.

In Louisiana, the smoking rate is higher than it is nationwide. An estimated 21.1% of the 18 and older population in Louisiana are smokers, the sixth highest smoking rate among states.

States where large shares of the population smoke often have below average health outcomes, and vice versa -- and in at least one key measure, that pattern holds in Louisiana. Average life expectancy at birth in the state is just 76.1 years, compared to 79.2 years nationwide.

All data used in this story is from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute joint program's 2021 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps report.

Rank	State	Adults who smoke (%)	Avg. life expectancy at birth (years)
1	West Virginia	26.9	74.8
2	Kentucky	24.1	75.6
3	Arkansas	23.7	76.1
4	Indiana	21.7	77.1
5	Ohio	21.4	77.0
6	Louisiana	21.1	76.1
7	Mississippi	21.0	74.9
8	Tennessee	20.8	76.0
9	South Dakota	20.2	78.9
10	Missouri	20.1	77.3
11	Michigan	20.1	78.1
12	Alabama	20.0	75.6
13	Oklahoma	19.9	76.1
14	North Dakota	19.7	79.7
15	Maine	19.4	78.7
16	Wyoming	19.2	78.9
17	Montana	18.9	78.9
18	South Carolina	18.7	77.1
19	Alaska	18.5	79.0
20	Pennsylvania	17.9	78.5
21	North Carolina	17.9	78.1
22	Kansas	17.9	78.5
23	Iowa	17.4	79.4
24	Delaware	17.4	78.5
25	Wisconsin	17.2	79.5
26	Nebraska	16.6	79.6
27	New Hampshire	16.6	79.7
28	Georgia	16.3	77.9
29	New Mexico	15.9	78.0
30	Illinois	15.9	79.4
31	Nevada	15.7	78.7
32	Oregon	15.7	79.9
33	Minnesota	15.5	80.9
34	Rhode Island	15.2	79.8
35	Virginia	15.1	79.6
36	Idaho	15.0	79.4
37	Florida	14.9	80.2
38	Colorado	14.7	80.6
39	Vermont	14.7	79.8
40	Arizona	14.5	80.0
41	Hawaii	14.4	82.3
42	Texas	14.2	79.2
43	Massachusetts	13.7	80.6
44	New Jersey	13.2	80.5
45	New York	13.0	81.4
46	Maryland	12.6	79.2
47	Connecticut	12.5	80.9
48	Washington	12.1	80.4
49	California	11.5	81.7
50	Utah	9.1	80.1

By: Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. via The Center Square

#####