Tobacco Control Community Health and Health Behavior

3.0 credits

Tobacco use, mostly in the form of cigarettes, has caused more than 20 million deaths in the United States since the release of the first Surgeon General’s report in 1964, including more than 480,000 deaths in the United States every year. More than 8 million Americans currently experience one or more serious illnesses (e.g., heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, other cancers, chronic respiratory diseases) caused by smoking. Worldwide, nearly 6 million people die every year from tobacco-attributable diseases. If current trends continue, nearly one billion tobacco-attributable deaths will occur worldwide during the 21st century, with most occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Tobacco control has emerged as a significant component of public health practice, having already postponed millions of deaths. The potential is far greater. There is an urgent need for worldwide implementation of effective tobacco-control strategies to prevent initiation, promote quitting, and protect non-users.