ears ago, people were unaware of the toll tobacco was taking on their health. Today, we know tobacco is the only product sold in the United States, when used as intended, kills it purchasers. Each year, tobacco use kills more than 425,000 Americans – more than 19,000 of them in Illinois.

obacco is the second most heavily advertised product in the nation, with the tobacco industry spending in excess of $7 billion dollars annually to market its deadly products. That’s more than $18 million each day! In Illinois alone, tobacco companies spend more than $288 million annually on consumer advertising.

oes this advertising work? Yes, particularly with young smokers. Two years after R.J. Reynolds introduced its advertising character “Joe Camel,” Camel® cigarettes saw a 6,000 percent increase in younger smokers and a $400 million increase in sales.

f advertising is what lures young smokers to tobacco – addiction is what keeps them smoking, often well into adulthood. No one disputes the simple fact that it’s tough to quit smoking. Nicotine, a key component of tobacco smoke, is one of the most physically addicting substances on earth. So, it’s no wonder, despite overwhelming evidence of the physical and economic costs of tobacco use, too many Illinoisans continue to use this deadly substance.

his Web site presents facts about tobacco and resources available to help you (or those you love) quit smoking.