FACT: Tobacco Use Is a Tremendous Burden to All Texans
In Texas, tobacco use is the single greatest preventable cause of premature death and disease.
- Tobacco use is a major risk factor for multiple cancers, heart disease, stroke and lung disease.
- Approximately 24,000 adults die of a smoking-attributable illness annually in Texas. That is more than die from AIDS, heroin, cocaine, alcohol, car accidents, fire and murder – combined.
- For every one person who dies from tobacco-related causes, there are 20 more people who are suffering with at least one serious illness from smoking.
Smoking is a health threat to nonsmokers.
- Secondhand smoke contains a complex mixture of over 4,000 chemicals, more than 50 of which are cancer-causing agents (carcinogens).
- Secondhand smoke is associated with an increased risk for lung cancer and coronary heart disease in non-smoking adults.
- Because their lungs are not fully developed, young children are particularly vulnerable to secondhand smoke. Exposure to secondhand smoke is associated with an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia in young children.
Tobacco use COSTS Texas businesses and taxpayers money.
- In 2004, tobacco-related disease cost the state approximately $12.2 billion ($5.8 billion in direct medical costs and an additional $6.4 billion in lost worker productivity).
- In 2004, $1.6 billion of all Medicaid expenditures were spent on smoking-related illnesses and diseases.