Smoking Kills 443,000 Americans Per Year

A new Centers for Disease Control report on tobacco use says that well over 400,000 Americans die from smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke each year. Additionally, 8.6 million adults in America have a serious illness related to smoking.

The report states that about five million fewer Americans would smoke if all states would fund their tobacco control programs properly. Youth smoking has actually declined in Maine, New York and Washington by 45 to 60 percent, because of such programs. An estimated 46.6 million American adults smoke and about 88 million nonsmokers are exposed to secondhand smoke.

Most adult smokers began smoking when they were teens. It is less likely for people to start smoking at an adult age. Teen smoking has declined since 1997. At that time the rate was 36 percent, and in 2009 it had dropped to 20 percent. Unfortunately, there is still some cultural attraction for some teens who see it as “cool” or as a way of rebelling.

The state with the least number of smokers is Utah with ten percent. Other low smoking states are California and Washington. Almost twenty-six percent of people in Kentucky and West Virginia smoke. Other high smoking states are Missouri, Oklahoma and Mississippi. Regionally the West has the least number of smokers with 16 percent and the Southeast and Midwest are both slightly above 20 percent.

The CDC recommends keeping children away from all cigarette smoking. Even being exposed once can cause harm. Also, children are impressionable and sometimes copy the behavior of adults. The CDC mentions that Medicare now covers some smoking cessation services.

The focus of the new CDC report is human health, but cigarettes harm more than human health. Cigarette butts are often tossed on the ground and on sidewalks and parking lots. They contain toxic chemicals which can make their way into our water systems, and poison fish habitat. Last year it was reported by Discovery News a research study found, “a single cigarette butt soaked for a day is enough to turn a liter of water a sickly yellow brown and kill 50 percent of fish swimming in it.” So quitting smoking is not only a sensible thing to do for ourselves, it also keeps the environment healthy.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Douglas S.

2:48PM PST on Jan 15, 2012

Terrible

send a green star

Jon H.

7:58PM PDT on May 20, 2011

smoking cigarettes isn't any different than pot smokers.

KS G.

1:02AM PDT on May 14, 2011

Thanks for the article.

Monica D.

12:56AM PDT on May 14, 2011

Smoking is bad news for people and the planet.

kenneth m.

7:53AM PST on Mar 2, 2011

Oops. I must have found one Donald

Donald M.

5:50AM PST on Mar 2, 2011

kenneth m,

You are a moron!

10:44PM PST on Feb 13, 2011

Hay losers The people that smoke the most are minorities also known as liberals. They are killing them selves. Liberals.

Neil A.

1:18PM PST on Feb 13, 2011

As an anti smoker, I hate the smell as well as all the other bad things about it, here in Spain it is now band in bars near schools, hospitals etc & a good thing too, it is amusing to see a few people sneaking out occasionally for a quick "drag". Pity it is not the T bags who smoke the most!!

Lynn C.

8:19AM PST on Feb 13, 2011

Here's another one of those statistical "facts" scare articles.
Smoking is not healthy - smoking too much is very unhealthy - smoking tobacco with all the additives in it is even more unhealthy. That being said I want to tell you a little story here about why I look these numbers with a jaundiced eye.
My good friends beloved uncle died, at a ripe old age, from bile duct cancer. My friend got the death certificate and on it in huge red letters was stamped "SMOKER". Now, you cannot tell me that his death was not one of those "death from smoking" statistics!
How many others are lumped into this figure when they well may have died from a broken neck!
I really hate - do-gooder or not - trying to manipulate with misinformation and downright lies. Lies are lies no matter what the justification.
Melissa O., you're right on!

Brenda T.

8:28AM PST on Feb 12, 2011

We've known this for the past 50 years!!! So why are people so stupid as to even begin smoking. It not only damages your health, it is bad for your bank account too!