More than a quarter of a million youth who had never smoked a cigarette used electronic cigarettes in 2013, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research. This number reflects a three-fold increase, from about 79,000 in 2011, to more than 263,000 in 2013.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says raising taxes on tobacco products will encourage users to stop and prevent other people from becoming addicted to tobacco. Based on 2012 data, WHO estimates that by increasing tobacco taxes by 50%, all countries would reduce the number of smokers by 49 million within the next 3 years and ultimately save 11 million lives.

More smokers would quit if state Medicaid programs covered more cessation treatments and removed barriers to coverage, according to a CDC study published in today’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. All 50 states and the District of Columbia cover cessation treatments for at least some Medicaid enrollees.

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:

What better time than during the American Cancer Society’s  annual Great American Smokeout, to highlight the benefit of  comprehensive smoke-free workplaces  on the health of workers. Furnishing a smoke-free work environment has been shown to both reduce exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) among non-smokers, and also to decrease smoking among employees.