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Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States. Although the percentage of all U.S. adults who smoke cigarettes has declined substantially since the mid-1960s, marked disparities persist, and declines have not been consistent across population groups. Studies have shown that cigarette smoking is as common, and sometimes more so, among adults with a history of epilepsy compared with those without a history of epilepsy, but reasons for this are unclear (CDC:2020).

Estimates of current smoking prevalence among adults with epilepsy showed that 1.1% of U.S. adults surveyed had active epilepsy and 0.7% had inactive epilepsy. Current cigarette smoking prevalence was 24.9% for adults with active epilepsy, 25.9% for adults with inactive epilepsy, and 16.6% for adults without epilepsy.

Estimates of current smoking prevalence among adults with epilepsy showed that 1.1% of U.S. adults surveyed had active epilepsy and 0.7% had inactive epilepsy. Current cigarette smoking prevalence was 24.9% for adults with active epilepsy, 25.9% for adults with inactive epilepsy, and 16.6% for adults without epilepsy. Current cigarette smoking prevalence was higher among adults with active epilepsy than among those with no history of epilepsy overall and for both men and women. During the 4 survey years (2010, 2013, 2015 and 2017), approximately one in four U.S. adults with active or inactive epilepsy currently smoked cigarettes. This finding reinforces the importance of efforts to reduce cigarette smoking among all adults, especially those with any epilepsy. (Learn more)