Daily Archives: July 3, 2009

Tobacco products are responsible for more than 430,000 deaths each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report an estimated 60 million adults smoke cigarettes in the United States, even though this behavior will result in death or disability for half of all regular users. Paralleling this enormous health burden is the economic burden of tobacco use, which is estimated to total $193 billion annually in medical expenditures and lost productivity. Curbing the significant adverse consequences of tobacco use is one of the most important public health goals of our time.