Colorado Ranks 39th for Smoking Rates—But One Neighbor Does Far Better

While the first reports regarding the link between smoking tobacco and lung cancer were first published in the 1920s, it wasn’t until the 1950s that it became widely accepted knowledge.

Get our free mobile app

The World Health Organization has reported that roughly 8 million people die each year as a direct result of tobacco smoke inhalation, and while numerous efforts to curb second-hand smoke exposure have taken place in the last few decades, the figure remains quite staggering.

The biggest reason that people continue to smoke despite knowing its negative effects on a person’s health is the fact that nicotine is extremely addictive, and once a person starts smoking, it’s difficult to stop.

Smoking cigarettes is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and while many states have much higher rates of people who smoke, Colorado could still be doing better.

How Many People in Colorado Smoke Cigarettes?

In 2026, Colorado ranks at 39 out of 51 when it comes to rates at which residents smoke tobacco. It has been reported that around 14.6% of Colorado residents smoke, which equates to 587,137 people.

Impressively, it’s also been reported that 1,026,635 of Colorado’s residents were able to kick the habit, and an even more impressive 2,399,606 residents have reportedly never smoked.

The only state that shares a border with Colorado and has a lower rate of tobacco smokers is Utah, at only 8.9%.

The state with the highest rate of smokers in the country is West Virginia, with 26% of its residents listed as smokers.

Read More: Drug-Resistant Superbug Has Made Its Way Into Colorado

Check out the full report here.