Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of premature death in the United States and is responsible for approximately 443,000 deaths each year. Of those deaths, 49,400 are a result of secondhand smoke exposure. Here are some more facts and figures about tobacco use and reasons why continued efforts to prevent it are needed:
●An estimated 19% of all adults in the U.S. smoke cigarettes.
●According to the CDC, in 2011, the prevalence of cigarette smoking was highest among non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native (31.5%), followed by non-Hispanic multiple race (27.4%), non-Hispanic white (20.6%), non-Hispanic black (19.4%), Hispanic (12.9%) and non-Hispanic Asian (9.9%).
●Every day, approximately 1,000 people under age 18 and 1,800 people over the age of 18 begin smoking on a daily basis.
●Nearly 70% of adults who smoke say they want to quit.
● In 2012, approximately 53 million American adults were former cigarette smokers.
●Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals including tar, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, DDT, arsenic, cyanide, and nicotine. Nearly 70 of these chemicals are cancer-causing agents.
●Cigarette smoking is estimated to be responsible for $193 billion in annual health-related economic losses each year in the U.S. This is made up of $96 billion in direct medical costs and approximately $97 billion in lost productivity.
●On average, people who smoke die 10 years earlier than people who do not smoke.
Smoking causes approximately:
●80-90% of all lung cancer deaths.
●85-90% of all deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Compared with nonsmokers, smokers have:
●Two to four times higher risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.
● 23 times higher risk of developing lung cancer (men only).
●13 times higher risk of developing lung cancer (women only).
●12-13 times higher risk of dying from COPD.
If you or someone you know is trying to quit smoking or other tobacco use, visit lungchicago.org/quit-smoking for cessation resources and information
Source: Respiratory Health, visit www.lungchicago.org.
