The smoking rates in New York City are a cause for serious concern. See below some figures that highlight the impact of smoking across the City and in your borough.
| Last Updated January 2026 |
In New York State…
- New York State residents’ tax burden from smoking-related healthcare costs is $1,528 per household.(5)
- Annual health care costs in New York State directly caused by smoking is $9.7 billion.(5)
In New York City…
- 7.9% of residents (535,000 adults) smoke.(1)
- 9,000 public high school students currently smoke cigarettes; one-third of whom will die prematurely as a direct result of smoking.(2)
- More than 200,000 children are still exposed to secondhand smoke at home.(4)
- 13.7% (32,000) public high school students report current use of an e-vapor product (2), indicating dual use of e-cigs and combustible cigarettes.
Adult Smoking Rates by Borough, 2023 (1)
| Bronx | 9.0 | 93,000 |
| Brooklyn | 9.1 | 189,000 |
| Manhattan | 6.7 | 88,000 |
| Queens | 7.3 | 136,000 |
| Staten Island | 7.8 | 29,000 |
Current e-Cigarette Use Rates by Borough, 2023 (1)
| Bronx | 9.0 | 90,000 |
| Brooklyn | 7.8 | 155,000 |
| Manhattan | 8.0 | 99,000 |
| Queens | 5.7 | 96,000 |
| Staten Island | 8.1 | 27,000 |
Current Menthol Product Use Rates (among current smokers) by Borough, 2023 (1)
| Bronx | 65.0* | 68,000 |
| Brooklyn | 40.5 | 88,000 |
| Manhattan | 44.2* | 45,000 |
| Queens | 36.1 | 53,000 |
| Staten Island | 49.1* | 17,000 |
| *Estimate should be interpreted with caution. Estimate’s Relative Standard Error (a measure of estimate precision) is greater than 30%, or the 95% Confidence Interval half-width is greater than 10 or the sample size is too small, making the estimate potentially unreliable. |
Adult Smoking Rates by Sexual Orientation, 2023 (1)
| Gay/Lesbian | 13.5 | 55,000 |
| Straight | 7.5 | 438,000 |
| Bisexual | 15.1 | 25,000 |
| Something else | 5.6* | 5,000 |
| *Estimate should be interpreted with caution. Estimate’s Relative Standard Error (a measure of estimate precision) is greater than 30%, or the 95% Confidence Interval half-width is greater than 10 or the sample size is too small, making the estimate potentially unreliable. |
Current Smoking Among Public High School Students, 2023 (2)
| NYC Overall | 3.6 | 9,000 |
| Bronx | 3.3 | 2,000 |
| Brooklyn | 4.2 | 3,000 |
| Manhattan | 4.6 | 2,000 |
| Queens | 2.8 | 2,000 |
| Staten Island | 1.6* | <500 |
Current E-Cigarette Use Among Public High School Students, 2023 (2)
| Overall | 13.7 | 32,000 |
| Bronx | 16.2 | 7,000 |
| Brooklyn | 15.0 | 10,000 |
| Manhattan | 12.0 | 5,000 |
| Queens | 12.2 | 8,000 |
| Staten Island | 12.5 | 2,000 |
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. New York City Community Health Survey 2023.
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. New York Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2023
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Projected smoking-related deaths among youth–United States.” MMWR. 45(44).1996.
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. More and more New Yorkers recognizing that secondhand smoke is toxic. 5 May 2007. Print.
- Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. Fact Sheet: The Toll of Tobacco in New York. May 18, 2021.
