April Indicator-of-the-Month: Tobacco Use

Tobacco use is the most important single preventable cause of death and disease in our society. Tobacco use is a major risk factor for diseases of the heart and blood vessels; chronic bronchitis and emphysema; cancers of the lung, larynx, pharynx, oral cavity, esophagus, pancreas, and bladder; and other problems such as respiratory infections and stomach ulcers. Cigarette smoking accounts for about 434,000 deaths, or one fifth of all deaths in the United States. Smoking accounts for 21% of all coronary heart disease deaths, 87% of lung cancer deaths, and 30% of all cancer deaths. Cigarette smoking during pregnancy accounts for 20 to 30% of low birth weight babies, up to 14% of pre-term deliveries, and about 10% of all infant deaths. Some facts about smoking are listed below.

• Health Costs: one fifth or 434,000 deaths in the United States in 1992 alone.
• US Economic Costs: $68 billion annually. $47.2 billion in lost productivity and $20.8 billion in increased health care costs.
• Alaska has one of the highest prevalence rates of smoking in the country (see chart to the right).
• Healthy People 2000 National Health Objectives include reducing cigarette smoking prevalence to no more than 15% for aged 20 and older.
• Alaska high school students are more likely to be frequent smokers than US students (see chart).
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 32% of youths who become regular smokers in early childhood will die prematurely of a smoking-related death.¹ If rates persist 56,246 Alaska youths currently aged 0-17 will become smokers and 17,999 of them will die prematurely from smoking related illnesses.
• Prevalence of smoking among youth is not declining. For example, among American high school seniors, the prevalence of smoking has remained largely unchanged since 1980.
• Research indicates that higher cigarette prices do significantly reduce cigarette use by teens.

¹ 1992. Alaska

² Herdman R., Hewitt M., Saschober M. Smoking-Related Deaths and Financial Costs: Office of Technology Assessment Estimates for 1990. OTA testimony before the Senate Special Committee on Aging; May 6, 1993.

³ Tobacco use among high school students in Alaska and US 1992. Alaska Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System: 1992 Annual Report, Alaska Division of Public Health.

⁴ CDC. Projected smoking-related deaths among youth—United States. MMWR 1996;45:971-4.

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