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| Facts About Tobacco Use in Michigan |
These facts may be useful in developing a plan to assess and reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke in your community:
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Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the State of Michigan and in all Michigan counties. 1
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Tobacco use is linked to all leading causes of death, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lower respiratory disease, and diabetes. 2
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Cigarette smoking results in 15,000 deaths each year in Michigan, and exposure to secondhand smoke results in approximately 2,500 deaths each year, resulting in over 17,000 deaths in Michigan each year caused by smoking. 3
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Approximately 23.4% of adults smoke in Michigan, and 40% of these are young adults, ages 18 through 24. On average, adults who smoke cigarettes die 13-14 years earlier than nonsmokers. 4
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Approximately 23% of Michigan high school students smoke. Nearly 30,000 Michigan youth under the age of 18 become new daily smokers each year, and approximately 32.4 million packs of cigarettes are bought or smoked by minors each year. 3,5
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Parental smoking, peer pressure, and tobacco industry marketing and promotions are all powerful influences that can lead to youth smoking. Parental involvement can play an important role in youth smoking prevention. 6
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Exposure to secondhand smoke is the second leading cause of preventable death in Michigan. Anywhere between 1,400 to 2,500 adults, children and babies in Michigan die each year from exposure to secondhand smoke. 3
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Tobacco use has overwhelmingly increased the cost of health care and insurance, devastating the health of Michigan's economy, as well as the health of Michigan citizens. Smoking-related health care expenditures in Michigan are estimated to be $3.3 billion per year, and Michigan residents pay $597 per household in taxes for these smoking-related health care costs. 3
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Smoking harms people of all ages, including unborn babies, infants, children, adolescents, adults and seniors. 2
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Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of infant death, low birth weight, behavioral problems and the possibility of onset of childhood and adult cancers. 2
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Children and adolescents exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk of asthma, ear infections, colds and pneumonia.7 Adults can suffer from heart disease, lung and numerous other cancers, and respiratory diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema. 7 Seniors who smoke are at an increased risk of vision disease, such as cataracts, and neurological disease, such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia, in addition to being at higher risk for other smoking-related disease and illness. 8
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Nearly 62% of Michigan adults have tried to quit smoking during the past year. 4
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On average, adults who smoke cigarettes die 13-14 years earlier than nonsmokers. 9 Quitting smoking results in immediate short-term and long-term health benefits for the ex-smoker, and quitting can reduce a person's risk of dying from a smoking-related illness and extend quantity and quality of life at any age. According to the 2004 U.S. Surgeon General's report on the health consequences of smoking, quitting smoking at age 65 or older reduces a person's risk of dying of a smoking-related disease by nearly 50%. 2
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Communities can play a significant role in decreasing tobacco use among residents by increasing smoke-free environments through the adoption and implementation of smoke-free policies (see Smoke-Free Worksite Regulations & Ordinances in Michigan), and increasing the availability of local services to help smokers quit.
Local surveys from various Michigan counties have demonstrated that the majority of Michigan residents are in favor of smoke-free environments in work sites and other public places. 10 Communities involved in increasing local smoke-free policies also need to identify and increase local services available to help smokers quit. Research has clearly demonstrated that smoke-free policies for work sites and other public places can encourage smokers to quit and prevent youth from starting to smoke.11 Involvement from all Michigan communities to increase access to smoking cessation services among residents and to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke can greatly improve the health of all Michigan residents.
Fact Sources:
- MDCH, Vital Records & Health Data Development, 2003.
http://www.mdch.state.mi.us/pha/osr/index.asp?Id=4
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General. US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2004.
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr_2004/index.htm
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, State Highlights 2004.
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/datahighlights/index.htm
- Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, 2004.
- Michigan Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2003.
http://www.emc.cmich.edu/YRBS/
- Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, 2005 Fact Sheet "How Parents Can Protect Their Kids from Becoming Addicted Smokers."
http://tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0152.pdf
- US Department of Health and Human Services. Reducing Tobacco Use - A Report of the Surgeon General, 2000. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr_2000/index.htm
- Kelly, S.P., Thornton, J., Lyratzopoulos, G., Edwards, R. and Mitchell, P. (2004). Smoking and blindness. British Medical Journal, 328: 537 - 538.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2002). Annual smoking-attributable mortality, years of potential life lost, and economic costs-United States, 1995-1999. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 51(14):300-303. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5114.pdf.
- Michigan Department of Community Health, Tobacco Section, 2005.
- Pentz, M.A., Brannon, B.R. Charlin, V.L., Barrett, E.J., MacKinnon, D.P. & Flay, BR (1989). The power of policy: The relationship of smoking policy to adolescent smoking. American Journal of Public Health, 79(7):857-62.
Helpful Reminders:
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Visit the Community Resourcespage for additional information on coalition-building.
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Visit mihealthtools.orgto start assessing the status of smoke-free policies and cessation services in your community using the SFCAT.
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Visit the Community Resourcespage for additional information on tobacco and for tools to develop and implement a plan to reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke in your community.
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