Who's Leading the Leading Health Indicators? — Tobacco

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Healthypeople.gov: Leading Health Indicators Monthly Bulletin

October 2014

Overview

Tobacco use is a major preventable cause of premature death and disease in the U.S.1, 2

Cigarette smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke are responsible for approximately 480,000 deaths each year in this country.2

Since the publication of the first Surgeon General’s report on the health effects of smoking in 1964, cigarette smoking has been causally linked to disease in nearly all organs of the body. Even 50 years after the first report, research continues to identify new diseases caused by smoking, including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and colorectal cancer.2

In addition to this enormous health burden, smoking also imposes a major economic burden on society. Annual smoking-attributable economic costs in the United States estimated for the years 2009–2012 were $289.0–$332.2 billion each year, including at least $132.5 billion for direct medical care of adults and $151.0 billion for lost productivity due to premature death.2

Furthermore, smoking negatively affects more than just smokers.

In 2012 it was estimated that secondhand smoke caused an estimated 34,000 heart disease deaths and 7,300 lung cancer deaths in nonsmokers. It is estimated that secondhand smoke exposure also costs the United States $5.6 billion in lost productivity every year.2

If smoking persists at the current rate among young adults in this country, an estimated 5.6 million children alive today will die early from smoking.2 Preventing the initiation of tobacco use and helping people who use tobacco quit can improve the health and quality of life for Americans of all ages.

Learn More About Tobacco

Tobacco Use and the Affordable Care Act

As part of its emphasis on prevention and health promotion, the Affordable Care Act requires most private insurance plans to cover tobacco use screenings and some cessation treatments, including FDA-approved medications that help people quit smoking, for both adults and adolescents. The law also expands smoking cessation coverage for pregnant women who receive Medicaid and provides Medicare beneficiaries with access to an annual wellness visit that includes personalized prevention plan services such as tobacco cessation counseling and other tobacco cessation services.

The Health Insurance Marketplace offers a new way for individuals, families, and small businesses to get health coverage and obtain access to a variety of essential health benefits, including tobacco use screening for all adults and cessation interventions for tobacco users. Visit https://www.healthcare.gov/ to learn more about the benefits of the Affordable Care Act.

Leading Health Indicators

Leading Health Indicators (LHI) are critical health issues that – if tackled appropriately – will dramatically reduce the leading causes of death and preventable illnesses. The Tobacco LHIs are:

Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going

Over the past decade, the current cigarette smoking rate among adults aged 18 years and older decreased by 16.7%, from 21.5% in 2003 to 17.9% in 2013 (age adjusted). Adults with lower educational attainment and lower family income levels had higher rates of smoking compared to their counterparts in 2013. The rate of cigarette use in the last 30 days among students in grades 9–12 also decreased over the past decade by 28.3%, from 21.9% in 2003 to 15.7% in 2013.

Who’s Leading the Leading Health Indicators?

 Tobacco use is the leading cause of premature death in Travis County, Texas. In Travis County, which includes the city of Austin, 11.5% of adults were current cigarette smokers and 15.3% of adults used some type of tobacco product in 2013. Statewide, 15.9% of adults smoked cigarettes and 18.9% of adults used some type of tobacco product in 2013.

To educate residents about the dangers of tobacco use, the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department (ATCHHSD) implemented the Live Tobacco-Free Austin campaign in 2011. Through both traditional media and social media, the Live Tobacco-Free Austin campaign developed media messages to raise awareness about the burden of tobacco use, promote cessation services, and educate the public about the impact of secondhand smoke. ATCHHSD also partnered with a local hospital to offer cessation classes at locations throughout the county that use the Mayo Clinic Model for treating tobacco dependence.3

Read the Full Story

Leading Health Indicator Infographic

Tobacco Use Infographic

Related Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Smoking & Tobacco Use

Food and Drug Administration, Center for Tobacco Products

National Cancer Institute, Smoking

The Health Consequences of Smoking – 50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2014

The Guide to Community Preventive Services, Tobacco Use

Smokefree.gov

Healthy People serves as the foundation for prevention efforts across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

1 http://www.cdc.gov/winnablebattles/tobacco/

2 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress. A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta (GA): U.S. 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; 2014. Printed with corrections, January 2014.

3 http://www.mayo.edu/research/documents/treating-tobacco-dependencepdf/doc-10027347

Reference in this bulletin to any specific product, process, service, organization, or company does not constitute its endorsement or recommendation by the U.S. Government or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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