More than $41 billion a year in Medicare costs could be saved if all beneficiaries achieved ideal levels for five to seven heart-healthy habits to reduce cardiovascular risk, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association (AHA)/American Stroke Association.
More than 5.8 trillion cigarettes smoked in 2014 alone
March 20, 2015
An atlas put together by the American Cancer Society and World Lung Foundation graphically details the harmful influence of tobacco on health, poverty, social justice, and the environment; the progress being made in tobacco control; and – according to the two organizations -- the latest products and tactics being used by the industry to protect its profits and delay and derail tobacco control.
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of premature death in the United States and is responsible for approximately 443,000 deaths each year. Of those deaths, 49,400 are a result of secondhand smoke exposure. Here are some more facts and figures about tobacco use and reasons why continued efforts to prevent it are needed:
