Smoking

Cigarette smoking has been identified as the most important source of preventable morbidity and premature mortality worldwide. Smoking-related diseases claim an estimated 440,000 American lives each year, including those affected indirectly, such as babies born prematurely due to prenatal maternal smoking and victims of "secondhand" exposure to tobacco's carcinogens. Smoking costs the United States over $150 billion each year in health-care costs including $81.9 billion in mortality-related productivity loses and $75.5 billion in excess medical expenditures.

In the United States, an estimated 25.6 million men and 22.6 million women are smokers. These people are at higher risk of heart attack and stroke. The latest estimates for persons age 18 and older show:

Among whites, 25.1 percent of men and 21.7 percent of women smoke.

Among black or African Americans, 27.6 percent of men and 18.0 percent of women smoke.

Among Hispanics/Latinos, 23.2 percent of men and 12.5 percent of women smoke.

Among Asians, 21.3 percent of men and 6.9 percent of women smoke.

Studies show that smoking