Maryland Prevalence Rates

In 2022, 9.6% of adults in Maryland smoked. Nationally, adult smoking prevalence was 14.0%.1
In 2021, 3.6% of high school students in Maryland smoked cigarettes on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the rate was 3.8%.2

Cigarette Use stats

In 2022, 4.6% of adults in Maryland used e-cigarettes. Nationally, adult e-cigarette use prevalence was 7.7%1
In 2022, 1.8% of adults in Maryland used smokeless tobacco every day or some days. Nationally, adult smokeless tobacco use prevalence was 3.4%1
In 2021, 14.7% of high school students in Maryland used electronic vapor products on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, e-cigarette use prevalence among high school students was 18.0%.2
In 2021, 3.0% of high school students in Maryland used chewing tobacco, snuff or dip on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, smokeless tobacco use prevalence among high school students was 2.5%.2
In 2021, 3.2% of high school students in Maryland smoked cigars, cigarillos or little cigars on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, cigar use prevalence among high school students was 3.1%.2

MD Fact sheet

Maryland received $632.1 million (estimated) in revenue from tobacco settlement payments and taxes in fiscal year 2022.4
Of this, the state allocated $20.6 million in state funds to tobacco prevention in fiscal year 2022, 42.9% of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s annual spending target.4
Smoking-related health care costs: $3.14 billion per year.4
Smoking-related losses in productivity: $6.4 billion per year.5

MD tobacco taxes

Tobacco taxes

Maryland is ranked 5th in the U.S. for its cigarette tax of $3.75 per pack (enacted Feb 2021), compared with the national average of $1.93. (New York has the highest tax at $5.35 and Missouri has the lowest at 17 cents.)6-8
Cigars are taxed at 70% of the wholesale price and premium cigars are taxed at 15% of the wholesale price. All other tobacco products are taxed at 53% of the wholesale price.6,7

Clean indoor air ordinances

Smoking is prohibited in all government and private workplaces, schools, childcare facilities, restaurants, bars, casinos/gaming establishments, retail stores and recreational/cultural facilities.7
Vaping is prohibited on Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) trains and at MDOT MTA-owned stations.9

Flavor restrictions

The sale of cartridge-based and disposable e-cigarettes with flavors other than menthol is prohibited.10

Licensing laws

Retailers and wholesalers are required to obtain a license to sell tobacco products.6
A license is required to sell e-cigarettes.9

Youth access laws

In December 2019, the United States adopted a law raising the federal minimum age of sale of all tobacco products to 21, effective immediately.
Minors are prohibited from buying electronic smoking devices, including e-cigarettes.6,7

Local tobacco laws

Montgomery County, Maryland:
- Prohibits e-cigarette manufacturers from distributing all e-cigarettes to retail stores within a half mile of a middle or high school.10
- Prohibits e-cigarette manufacturers from distributing flavored e-cigarettes to retail stores within a half mile of any middle or high school, library, or recreational facility.10

Maryland has a high rate of under-21 alcohol-related deaths.

14.5% of Maryland adults over 18 binge drink at least once per month.
The median number of drinks per binge is 5.3; the 25% most active drinkers consume a median 7.0 drinks per binge.
Binge drinking adults in Maryland binge a median 1.6 times monthly; the 25% most active drinkers binge 3.7 times per month.
An average of 2,482 annual deaths in Maryland are attributable to excessive alcohol use.
The 5-year average annual rate of excessive alcohol deaths per capita in Maryland increased by as much as 61.2% from 2015 to 2019.
Maryland averages one (1) death from excessive alcohol use for every 2,489 people aged 18 and older or 5.16 deaths for every 10,000 adults.
69.9% of people who die from excessive alcohol use in Maryland are male.
46.6% of excessive alcohol use deaths are from chronic causes, such as Alcohol Use Disorder.
79.0% of deaths in Maryland from excessive alcohol use are adults aged 35 years and older.
3.22% of people in Maryland who die from excessive alcohol use are under the age of 21.
The CDC estimates 69,071 years of potential life is lost to excessive alcohol use each year.
Maryland taxpayers spent $4.965 billion as a result of excessive alcohol use in 2010; adjusted for inflation, this is equivalent to $6.702 billion or $3.00 per drink in 2022 US$.