How Many Of Us Are There?

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iajaffe

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 10, 2010
176
47
Does anyone have any data on how many pipe smokers there are? Whether that is world wide or just in the US? Per capita? Cigarette smokers is 20-25% (of adults) in the US, but pipe smoking has to be less than a fraction of a percent. Even at 1/3 of a percent that is 90K pipe smokers in the US and that still seems high.

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,569
27,074
Carmel Valley, CA
Does anyone have any data on how many pipe smokers there are? Whether that is world wide or just in the US? Per capita? Cigarette smokers is 20-25% (of adults) in the US, but pipe smoking has to be less than a fraction of a percent. Even at 1/3 of a percent that is 90K pipe smokers in the US and that still seems high.
Dunno. I'd guess there are 980,000 pipe smokers. But it's over a 1,000,000 folks, not 90,000, the 1/3 of one percent.

 

haparnold

Lifer
Aug 9, 2018
1,561
2,389
Colorado Springs, CO
I don't know where you got your data, but according to the Centers for Disease Control, about 14% of US adults are cigarette smokers. Source.
As far as what proportion of smokers are pipe smokers, it's hard to say, but I don't think 1-2% of the US male population would be a bad WAG. It's also hard to tease out long-term committed pipe smokers from people who try it a few times and don't stick with it, or the people who very rarely smoke. I know lots more people who average about two ounces a year than I do daily pipe smokers.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I'd expect some of the larger pipe tobacco makers, especially those with reach into other tobacco markets, and with international marketing, have working figures on the number of pipe smokers worldwide and in specific countries. I don't know how much research on this, and on breaking out the pipe smokers from other tobacco users, is cost effective, but a large corporation would certainly look into this, whether they'd assign a graduate school intern or a team of seasoned researchers and stat people. These figures might be worked up by marketing or sales, or hired out to research contractors. When corporations pay for something, they don't share it, since it would be a competitive advantage to know how many and where pipe smokers are. Out of 327 million people in the U.S., does one in 33 smoke pipes? That'd be one percent? Sounds high to me, but since we've been driven into privacy, or lonely walks, it could be true. I'd guess less than half a percent, maybe even less than a quarter. The internet makes us feel numerous, but we're borrowing from other countries here. If my math is stinko, sorry about that. But my guess stands.

 

wolflarsen

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 29, 2018
842
2,341
I've met exactly zero pipe smokers in my 40 years on planet earth. If it weren't for this forum it would feel like I'm the only one.

 

briarbuck

Lifer
Nov 24, 2015
2,287
5,492
I imagine there are at least a several hundred pipe smokers in a town like Columbus. That's less than 1/2 of 1/2 percent of the population.
@ 350mm people in the US, that translates to about 250,000 pipe smokers.

 
We are all down South. I still see guys in parking lots smoking pipes while their wives shop, or in traffic. I even ran into a whole group of young pipe smokers at the campgrounds at our last adventure last week. They had no idea that guys would have a forum. One asked me what the hell we would talk a out, and I told them that most just set in their homes smoking alone bitching online about being the only ones in our areas. :puffy:

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Or ... every pipe smoker on Earth is on Forums or has been in the past. You think?

 

alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,245
Alaska
Holy speculation, Batman! The only good answer here (other than 42 :lol:) is NOT MANY. In my lifetime I have met exactly 2 pipe smokers other than myself, one is dead and the other hasn't smoked in years.
Having come from the world of cigars, I can see why many people who try pipe smoking end up going straight back to cigars. It is not an easy thing to learn right away, and cigars are so much more flavorful, powerful, and "ritzy".
Would be nice to share a smoke with someone someday though. Even though most pipes are best enjoyed alone IMO, the occasional bowl with someone who actually knows how to smoke one without gobbling up my butane, lighting their tongue on fire, hyperventilating, and burning out the bowl would be much appreciated.
I've attempted to convert a soul or two though. Constant coaching sure makes for a less relaxing smoke, haha. I did send a buddy home with a cheap unsmoked peterson and a nice sampler of tobaccos on sunday though. Hopefully he'll get his shit together.
All the more tobacco for us I guess. If more people smoked and I had to pay cigar prices for pipe tobacco my cellar would be a hell of a lot smaller. And all those hard to find blends would be that much tougher to locate.

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,569
27,074
Carmel Valley, CA
Out of 327 million people in the U.S., does one in 33 smoke pipes? That'd be one percent
Actually, that'd be 3.3%, so a bit optimistic! One percent would be over 3 million, and 3.3% around 10 million.
I'm still thinking it may be around one million, perhaps even that's optimistic.

 
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