Tobacco Use
Tobacco use is a major preventable cause of premature death and disease worldwide. Approximately 6 million deaths related to tobacco use occur each year, including 600,000 from secondhand smoke. In the United States, an estimated 45.3 million people – about one in five adults – currently smoke, and an estimated 443,000 people die prematurely from diseases caused by smoking or secondhand smoke exposure.
CDC has identified reducing tobacco use as a Winnable Battle. With additional effort and support for evidence-based, cost-effective strategies that we can implement now, we will have a significant impact on our nation's health.
The Tobacco Winnable Battle materials below provide a snapshot of the context and background for this priority area, as well as descriptions of some of the systems, policy, and programmatic interventions pursued by CDC and our public health partners at the federal, state and local levels.
Tobacco Overview Materials:
- Introduction letter from CDC Director Dr. Thomas R. Frieden [PDF - 75KB]
- PowerPoint slides[PPT - 12.1MB], which can be tailored for use at the federal, state and local levels by adding specific data, case studies, and other useful information
- Tobacco Control Winnable Battle 101 video [VIDEO - 09:21 minutes]
- At A Glance, which provides an overview of the major issues, CDC's role in preventing tobacco use, and future directions and opportunities
- Vital Signs
- Tobacco Winnable Battle Goals
For more information about the Tobacco Winnable Battle, please visit www.cdc.gov/tobacco.
If you have questions about the materials provided here, please contact adprogram@cdc.gov
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