What question did this study set out to answer?

To explore the impact of changing social norms on cigarette smoking behavior over 30 years in the US.

June 19, 2026BMJ Public HealthOpen Access

Social norms and the decline in US cigarette smoking: evidence from 30 years of US representative surveys

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Randomized survey data shows social norms reduce smoking prevalence in the US, suggesting effective tobacco control measures.

To explore the impact of changing social norms on cigarette smoking behavior over 30 years in the US.
Analyzed data from 30 years of tobacco use supplements (n=1,462,050) from Current Population Survey.
Developed a state-specific scale of Willingness to Restrict Smoking (WTRS) based on psychometric analyses.
Conducted regression analyses to assess association between WTRS scores and smoking behaviors.
WTRS scale demonstrated a strong reliability (omega-h mean = 0.75, alpha mean = 0.81).
An 87% correlation between state smoking prevalence and WTRS scores was observed over 30 years.
Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for smoking was 0.74 (95% CI 0.69 to 0.76) for lowest vs. highest WTRS scores.

Strong et al. (2026) studied this question.

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