WHCC Tobacco Control

• Tobacco use causes more than 5 million deaths per year worldwide
• Current trends show that tobacco use will cause more than 8 million deaths per year by 2030
• In the U.S., cigarette smoking is responsible for about 1 in 5 deaths per year…that’s 443,000 people!!
• An estimated 49,000 people die per year as a result of second hand smoke exposure
• Smokers die an average of 13-14 years earlier than nonsmokers
• For every one person who dies of a smoking related disease, 20 more people will suffer with at least one serious illness due to smoking.

Only 9% or fewer of smokers are successful with each attempt because most try without counseling or medication.

• Menthol stimulates cold receptors and may therefore cool the harshness of cigarette smoke and make it easier to inhale larger amounts
• People who smoke menthol-flavored cigarettes have more difficulty trying to quit than those who smoke non-mentholated cigarettes, particularly low-income and minority individuals (International Journal of Clincal Practice, 2009 Feb)
• Approximately 3 out of 4 African American smokers chose mentholated cigarettes, and 90% of AA youth prefer them
• Mentholated cigarettes are the tobacco industry’s most profitable cigarette. They produce higher sales, and are strategically placed in African American communities

• You will live longer and live better
• You will lower your chance of having a heart attack, stroke, or cancer
• The people you live with, such as your children, will have better health
• If you are pregnant, stopping smoking will give you a better chance of having a healthy baby
• You will have more money to spend on things other than cigarettes

¿Necesita información en español? Llame al 1-800-45-NO-FUME (1800-456-6386)

People who smoke mentol-flavored cigarettes have more difficulty trying to quit than those who smoke non-mentholated cigarettes, particularly low-income and minority individuals. -International Journal of Clincal Practice, Reutors Health

Among African Americans, as with other U.S. populations, the prevalence of smoking declines as education level increases. In 2006, smoking rates were over 2.5 times higher among African American males over age 25 years old who had less than a high school education (35.9%) compared to those with a college education (13.7%).

Smoking rates are also higher in African American females over age 25 years old who have less than a high school education (28.3%) compared to those with a college education (7.6%).