Every year, tobacco use kills more Americans than World War II and
the Vietnam War combined. Tobacco related illnesses kill 440,000 US
citizens per year. (Centers for Disease Control. Cigarette Smoking
Among Adults-United States, 2001. MMRW 2003; 52(40); 953-956.)
Tobacco
is the only product in the U.S. that causes death and disability when
used as intended - the single, most preventable cause of death in the
U.S. (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention & Health
Promotion)
Many diseases are linked to
tobacco and nicotine: Cardiovascular Disease, Stroke, lung cancer,
cancer of the kidney, cancer of the larynx and head and neck, breast
cancer. (The Burden of Tobacco, Univ. of Medicine & Dentistry New
Jersey, March 2005)
There are over
4,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke. (The Burden of Tobacco, Univ. of
Medicine & Dentistry New Jersey, March 2005)
The
EPA ranks secondhand smoke in the same harmful category as asbestos,
radon and benezene. It is also a major cause of children's illness -
yet 85% of adults who smoke and who live with a child do not ensure
that the child is not exposed to the smoke from their cigarettes.
Each year, nearly 35 million people make a concerted effort to quit
smoking. Less than 7% succeed in abstaining for more than a year - most
start smoking again within days. (The Search For A Safe Cigarette, NOVA
(PBS), October 2001)
7% of over-the-counter nicotine patch and gum quitters quit for at least six months. (http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com)
High intensity counseling of greater than 10 minutes can increase six
month quitting rates to 22% when added to any quitting method.
(http://surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco/treating_tobacco_use.pdf)
Bupropion
(Zyban/Wellbutrin) use can generate quitting rates 13 percentage points
above placebo rates at 6 months.
(http://surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco/treating_tobacco_use.pdf)
Chantix use can generate quitting rates 26 percentage points above placebo rates at 3 months. (http://chantix.com)