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Facts on Tobacco Tobacco Use in Tennessee Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the nation. According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 46 million Americans currently smoke cigarettes, an estimated 25 percent of American men and 20 percent of women smoke, with approximately 82 percent smoking daily. Some 1.1 million Tennesseans, almost 26 percent of the states population over the age of 18, smoke compared to 22 percent of the nation. According to the American Cancer Society, Tennessee 's adult smokers comprise 27.3 percent of men and 24 percent of women. Almost 22 percent of the nation's high school students smoked at least one day in a month in 2003, with almost 10 percent reporting frequent smoking, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. High school smoking is more prevalent in Tennessee than the rest of the nation with 27.6 percent of high school students as current smokers and almost 15 percent reporting frequent smoking. While cigarettes remain the primary tobacco product used by youth, spit tobacco and cigars have gained popularity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16.6 percent of Tennessee high school students are currently using cigars and 12 percent are using spit tobacco. About 36 percent of middle or junior high school students and 58 percent of high school students have tried cigarette smoking. 73% of Tennessee voters support a smoke-free workplace law - American Cancer Society poll Current statistics on the Toll of Tobacco in Tennessee Track current legislation regarding smoking in Tennessee Health Effects of Tobacco on Tennessee Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the nation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tobacco use claimed more than 440,000 lives each year resulting in $157 billion in direct and indirect medical costs. Half of all Americans who continue to smoke will die from their cigarette smoking addition, according to the American Cancer Society. Smokers who quit can expect to live approximately 10 years longer than those who continue to smoke. Each year 9,662 Tennesseans die as a direct result of cigarette smoking, representing more than 135,000 years of potential life lost. According to the American Cancer Society, an additional 8.6 million people are suffering from smoking-related chronic conditions. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, smoking accounts for approximately 30 percent of all cancer deaths, is associated with increased risk for at least 15 types of cancer, and is a major cause of heart disease, cerebrovasular disease, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, stomach ulcers and low-birthweight children. The health consequences of tobacco use extend beyond smokers to nonsmokers involuntarily exposed to environmental tobacco smoke or secondhand smoke. What Is Secondhand Smoke? Secondhand smoke is a combination of smoke exhaled by a smoker and smoke from a burning cigarette, cigar or pipe. Secondhand smoke contains a mixture of more than 4,000 chemicals, more than 50 of which are cancer-causing agents (carcinogens). The Environmental Protection Agency has classified secondhand smoke as a Class A carcinogen, like asbestos and radon. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Read the Surgeon General's Report on how second-hand smoke affects you (PDF) Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke The American Lung Association estimates that annually secondhand smoke causes 3,000 lung cancer deaths in nonsmokers while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that secondhand smoke claims the lives of 35,000 nonsmokers annually to coronary heart disease. Secondhand smoke is a known cause of chronic lung ailments such as bronchitis. The National Cancer Institute estimates that exposure to secondhand smoke causes 8,000 new cases of asthma, and as many as 1 million cases of exacerbated asthma in children each year. The National Cancer Institute reports that exposure to secondhand smoke results in more than 10,000 annual cases of low birth weight children each year and 2,000 cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Like asbestos, secondhand smoke is classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a Class A carcinogen that is known to cause cancer in humans. There is no safe level of exposure to a Class A carcinogen. The concentration of carcinogens was found to be higher in secondhand smoke than in the fumes inhaled directly by smokers by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in 2002. Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, more than 40 of which have been proven to cause cancer. The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that just 30 minutes of exposure to secondhand smoke changes blood chemistry and increases the risk of heart disease in non-smokers. Financial Burden of Smoking According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, the annual health care costs in Tennessee directly caused by smoking are $2.16 billion while smoking-caused productivity losses amount to $2.74 billion in Tennessee. According to the Society of Actuaries, the direct cost of secondhand smoke exposure in the United States is $4.98 billion a year, including expenses related to the treatment of heart disease, chronic pulmonary disease, lung cancer, asthma and other sicknesses. The nation also incurs $4.68 billion in indirect costs a year, stemming from lost wages, reduced services and costs associated with disabilities. |
