Fact Sheet

Tobacco use: South Carolina 2026

Topic

Smoking by Region

Subtopic

State Facts

Cigarette use: South Carolina 2026*

In 2024, 12.1% of adults smoked. Nationally, the adult cigarette smoking prevalence was 11.6%.
In 2018-2019, 34.6% of adults who smoked in South Carolina smoked menthol cigarettes. Nationally, 32.3% of adult smokers used menthol cigarettes during this period.
In 2021, 3.3% of high school students in South Carolina smoked cigarettes on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the cigarette smoking prevalence among high school students was 3.8%.

Other tobacco product use: South Carolina 2026*

In 2024, 8.5% of adults in South Carolina used e-cigarettes. Nationally, the adult e-cigarette use prevalence was 8.0%.
In 2024, 3.1% of adults in South Carolina used smokeless tobacco every day or some days. Nationally, the adult smokeless tobacco use prevalence was 4.2%.
In 2021, 16.7% of high school students in South Carolina used electronic vapor products on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the e-cigarette use prevalence among high school students was 18.0%.
In 2021, 2.2% of high school students in South Carolina used chewing tobacco, snuff, or dip on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the smokeless tobacco use prevalence among high school students was 2.5%.
In 2019, 9.1% of high school students in South Carolina smoked cigars, cigarillos, or little cigars on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the cigar use prevalence among high school students was 5.7%.

Economics of tobacco use and tobacco control

South Carolina received $181.9 million (estimated) in revenue from tobacco settlement payments and taxes in fiscal year 2026.
Of this, the state allocated $6.9 million in state funds to tobacco prevention in fiscal year 2026, 13.6% of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's annual spending target.
Smoking-caused health care costs: $2.21 billion per year.
Smoking-caused losses in productivity: $5.7 billion per year.

South Carolina tobacco laws

Tobacco taxes

South Carolina is ranked 46th in the U.S. for its cigarette tax of 57 cents per pack (enacted July 2010), compared to the national average of $2.05. (New York has the highest tax at $5.35 and Missouri has the lowest at 17 cents.)
All other tobacco products are taxed at 5% of the manufacturer's price.

Clean indoor air ordinances

Smoking is prohibited in childcare facilities.
Smoking restrictions are required in government workplaces and schools.
There are no smoking restrictions for private workplaces, restaurants, bars, casinos/gaming establishments, and retail stores.
The use of e-cigarettes is prohibited in child residential care facility vehicles, ambulances, and any other apparatus in which oxygen is carried.
All school districts must adopt, implement, and enforce a written policy prohibiting the use of alternative nicotine products on school property and at school-sponsored events.
E-cigarettes are not included in the state's indoor air laws (except in K-12 schools and on school property) but are included in the state's definition of tobacco products.

Licensing laws

Wholesalers are required to obtain a license to sell tobacco products. Retailers are not required to obtain a license to sell tobacco products.
A license is not required to sell e-cigarette products.

Youth access laws

In December 2019, the United States adopted a law raising the federal minimum age of sale for all tobacco products to 21, effective immediately.
People under 21 are prohibited from buying e-cigarettes. Retail establishments whose primary purpose is the sale of tobacco products, and specialty electronic smoking device (tobacco) shops, must prohibit minors from entering. In retail establishments, minors may enter only if they are actively supervised and accompanied by an adult.
Vending machine sales of electronic smoking devices are prohibited.
Internet or remote sales of alternative nicotine products require third-party age verification.

Quitting statistics and benefits

The CDC estimates that 49.1% of daily adult smokers in South Carolina quit smoking for one or more days in 2019.
In 2014, the Affordable Care Act required that Medicaid programs cover all tobacco cessation medications.
South Carolina's state quitline invests $6.23 per smoker, compared to the national median of $2.62.
South Carolina does not have a private insurance mandate provision for cessation.

Notes and references (March 2026)

* The datasets for both adult and youth prevalence were used to make direct comparisons at the state and national levels. National prevalence reported here may differ from what is reported in national-level fact sheets. The numbers here also reflect the most recent data available. Dates of available data may differ across state fact sheets.

** The seven recommended cessation medications are NRT gum, NRT patch, NRT nasal spray, NRT inhaler, NRT lozenge, varenicline (Chantix), and bupropion (Zyban).

Fiore MC, et al. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update. Clinical Practice Guideline. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service; May 2008.

CDC. (2024). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
CDC. (2024). State Menthol Fact Sheets.
CDC. (2021). Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. (2026). Broken Promises to Our Children: A State-by-State Look at the 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 24 Years Later.
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. (2024). The Toll of Tobacco in the United States.
American Lung Association. (2026). State Legislated Actions on Tobacco Issues (SLATI).
American Lung Association. (2026). State of Tobacco Control.
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. (June 14, 2024). State Cigarette Excise Tax Rates & Rankings. https://assets.tobaccofreekids.org/factsheets/0097.pdf
Public Health Law Center. (June 15, 2024). U.S. E-Cigarette Regulations: 50 State Review. https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/resources/us-e-cigarette-regulations-50-state-review
FDA. (2024). Tobacco 21. https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/retail-sales-tobacco-products/tobacco-21
CDC. (2024). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation System.