Tobacco Use in the United States

Tobacco Use in the United States

Since the release of the first Surgeon General's Report in 1964, the scientific knowledge about the health consequences of tobacco use has greatly increased. It is now well documented that smoking cigarettes causes heart disease, lung and esophageal cancer, and chronic lung disease. Cigarette smoking contributes to cancer of the bladder, pancreas, and kidney. Consequences of using smokeless tobacco include cancer of the gum, mouth, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus.

Trends in Deaths Attributable to Cigarette Smoking---United States, 1990   Source: CDC SAMMEC, MMWR 1993; 42:645-9.

Studies have also demonstrated that women who use tobacco during pregnancy are more likely to have adverse birth outcomes, including low birth weight babies. Low birth weight is a leading cause of death among infants.

Studies also indicate that nonsmokers are adversely affected by environmental tobacco smoke. Researchers have identified more than 4,000 chemical compounds in tobacco smoke; of these, at least 43 cause cancer in humans and animals. Each year, because of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, an estimated 3,000 nonsmoking Americans die of lung cancer, and 300,000 children suffer from lower respiratory tract infections.

Particularly alarming is the fact that more than 3 million young people under age 18 smoke half a billion cigarettes each year and that more than one-half of them consider themselves dependent upon cigarettes. The decision to use tobacco is nearly always made in the teen years, and about one-half of young people usually continue to use tobacco products as adults.

Trends in Current* Cigarette Smoking by Grade in School---United States, 1975-1998   *Smoking 1 or more cigarettes during the previous 30 days. Source: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Monitoring the Future Project.