Tobacco Use and Advertising
The average age for first use of tobacco is 12 years.
Although smoking continues to drop among all major age, race and sex groups, teenage smoking has not declined. In fact, the smoking rate for teenage girls has risen over the past few years.
The six American cigarette companies annually spend more than $4 billion for advertising.
The Risks of Smoking
The risk of developing lung cancer is 10 times greater for smokers than for nonsmokers. Those who smoke 2 or more packs of cigarettes a day are 15 to 25 times more likely to die of lung cancer than nonsmokers.
This year, more than 450,000 Americans will die prematurely of diseases linked to smoking. That's as many Americans as have been killed in all the wars fought in this century and more than the combined annual death tolls from alcohol, illegal drugs, traffic accidents, suicide and homicide. Worldwide, even the most conservative estimates place the number of avoidable deaths caused by smoking at well above 2 million a year.
Smoking causes about 30% of all cancers, including cancer of the lungs, mouth, pharynx, esophagus, bladder and pancreas. It is also a major cause of heart disease, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Pregnant women who smoke have higher rates of miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and complications of pregnancy. More of their babies die soon after birth than newborns of nonsmoking mothers.
Passive Smoking
Passive smoking (also called secondhand smoking, sidestream smoking or involuntary smoking) is the inhalation of the smoke produced by another person's cigarette.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that annually about 3,000 nonsmokers die of lung cancer; other reports estimate that about 37,000 die of heart attacks caused by passive smoking. Sidestream smoke contains higher concentrations of toxic and cancer causing-chemicals than smoke inhaled directly. About 75% of the nicotine from a cigarette ends up in the atmosphere.
43 states, the District of Columbia and more than 400 municipalities restrict smoking in public places; 31 states have laws restricting smoking in public workplaces; 25 states have comprehensive clean indoor air acts; and 34 states have laws restricting smoking in hospitals.
Attempts to Quit
More than 44 million Americans have quit smoking and almost 1/2 of all living adults in the United States who ever smoked have quit. Despite the many who have quit, about 46 million Americans still smoke cigarettes. The typical smoker who becomes a confirmed former smoker usually has tried to quit 3 to 4 times before being successful.
Cigarette Taxes
Cigarette taxes are significantly lower in the U.S. than in other countries. Taxes in this country are only 30% of the purchase price, while they are 85% in Denmark, 76% in France and 75% in both the United Kingdom and India.
AMA Policy
The AMA opposes the advertising and promotion of tobacco products and supports legislation banning such advertising. The AMA has launched an ongoing crusade against tobacco advertising targeted toward children and has called upon the FTC to ban advertising such as the Old Joe Camel campaign. It has also initiated numerous efforts to educate the public about the dangers of smoking.
In February, the AMA released its "Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Nicotine Dependence" to help physicians develop a stop-smoking program for their patients that can be implemented during routine office visits.
In March, the AMA launched the largest and most comprehensive anti-tobacco initiative in its history. The three-pronged initiative included:
The National Wellness Stop Smoking Campaign -- "How To Quit" smoking cessation kit, which is the first to employ telemedicine to bring proven methods and group support directly into smokers' homes. This kit is available by calling 1-800/214-2299.