Gallup data shows LDS members have a smoking rate of 8% — less than half the 20% national average and the lowest of any major religious group in America.
LDS members also have the lowest rates of heavy alcohol use at just 1%, compared to 7% for Catholics, 6% for Mainline Protestants, and 5% for Evangelicals.
These outcomes are connected to the Word of Wisdom — the LDS health code that advises against tobacco, alcohol, coffee, and tea. The code was established in 1833, more than a century before the Surgeon General's 1964 report linking smoking to cancer.
The health code appears to be a significant factor in the longevity advantage documented by UCLA (LDS men live 9.8 years longer) and the cancer reduction (24% lower overall, 60% lower smoking-associated cancer in women). The substance use data is consistent with the broader pattern of LDS well-being outcomes.
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