Tobacco Kills
Facts About Tobacco Use
Tobacco kills. In fact, tobacco is the #1 cause of preventable death in Austin and Travis County. Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department
Tobacco use causes more deaths than AIDS, crack, heroin, cocaine, alcohol, car accidents, fire, suicide, and murder—combined. Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department
In 2008, almost 600 deaths in Travis County were caused by cigarettes and other tobacco products—that's an average of 11 people every week. Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department
1 out of 3 cancer deaths in the U.S. is caused by smoking. US Dept. of Health and Human Services
According to recent data, Texans pay about $7.5 billion each year to cover health-care costs related to tobacco use—or about $750 per household every year. Penn State
Smokeless tobacco is harder to quit than cigarettes. One can of snuff gives you as much nicotine as 60 cigarettes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Facts About Secondhand Smoke
There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. 2010 Surgeon General's Report—How Tobacco Causes Disease
A person sitting within three to six feet of a smoker outdoors can be exposed to levels of secondhand smoke similar to those indoors. Journal of Air and Waste Management Association
Cigarette smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, 69 of which are known cancer-causing agents. Ingredients include cyanide, mercury, lead, arsenic, ammonia, and formaldehyde. US Surgeon General’s Report
Who's Affected?
More than 1 in 6 adults in Travis County smoke or use tobacco. Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department
43% of nonsmoking adults and children are exposed to secondhand smoke. 2006 Surgeon General's Report—The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke
4,300 nonsmokers die each year in Texas from exposure to secondhand smoke. Austin/Travis County Health & Human Services; US Surgeon General’s Report
Asthma symptoms are more common and more severe in children exposed to secondhand smoke. 2006 Surgeon General's Report
Tobacco-related disease adds up to $96 billion in health-care costs annually and an additional $97 billion per year in productivity losses nationwide. CDC Annual Smoking-Attributable Mortality
