Georgia Tobacco Use Prevention Program (GTUPP)
Tobacco Use: Facts and Actions
Facts
- Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States.
- Tobacco use is not just a bad habit; it's an addiction.
- Quitting smoking decreases a person's risk of lung cancer, heart attack, stroke, or respiratory illness.
- Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS), or secondhand smoke, can cause serious health problems for nonsmokers, especially children.
- During 1988-1996, among persons aged 12-17 years, initiation of first use of cigarettes increased by 30 percent. Additionally, initiation of daily cigarette use increased by 50 percent.
- Tobacco addiction is a childhood disease. Ninety percent of adult smokers started before the age of 21.
- In 1997, among high school students, the prevalence of current cigarette smoking was 32 percent higher than in 1991.
- Since 1991, cigarette smoking increased 80 percent among black students, 34 percent among Hispanic students, and 28 percent among white students.
- Tobacco use is the number one cause of death. More than 10,000 people die
in Georgia every year from tobacco related illnesses--more deaths than from alcohol, cocaine and heroin, AIDS, murder, suicide, auto accidents, and fires combined.
- In 1996, one out of every six deaths in Georgia was attributed to smoking.
- According to a 1998 Georgia Epidemiology Report, smokers who died from a smoking-related disease died an average of 15 years prematurely.
- Smoking costs Georgians $1.2 billion in direct health care costs each year.
- Smoking costs Georgians $7.5 billion each year in lost earnings from early death and disability.
- According to a 1993 poll, ten percent of Georgia's high school students reported using chewing tobacco or snuff and 24 percent reported smoking cigarettes in the past month.
Actions
- The Division of Public Health's tobacco use prevention coordinator is the state contact for state and national information about tobacco and health. Call (404) 657-6649.
- Public health departments and clinics in every county provide general health counseling, prevention, and education about smoking as well as referrals to smoking cessation classes.
- The Division of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse (MHMRSA) monitors the ability of teenagers to buy tobacco products in Georgia.
- Communities have taken action to prevent tobacco use, especially among youth. Community-based groups provide education on smoke-free businesses, government buildings, and health care settings.
- Through its IMPACT project, the Division of Public Health is funding four health districts for community coalition building and resource development for tobacco prevention activities. These activities are based in Albany, Dublin, DeKalb County, and Gwinnett County.
- The Coalition for a Healthy And Responsible Georgia (CHARGe) comprises public and private members whose mission is to protect and improve public health by reducing tobacco use and distribution in Georgia. Call (404) 467-1558.
- The American Cancer Society provides a toll free number for information on a variety of topics, including smoking cessation, advocacy, and other tobacco issues: 1-800-ACS-2345.
References
- Tobacco Surveillance Report, GA 2004
- Georgia Youth Tobacco Survey, Summary Report 1999
- The Burden of Tobacco in Georgia, 2000
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office on Smoking and Health.
- Georgia Epidemiology Report, April 1998
- The Journal of the American Medical Association, 1989, Vol 261
- The Department of Education Youth Risk Behavior Study, 1993, MMWR, April 3, 1998/vol. 47/no.12 and October 9, 1998/vol. 47/no. 39
Other Related Sites
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