Tobacco Use

Tobacco use is a major preventable cause of premature death and disease worldwide. Approximately 6 million deaths related to tobacco use occur each year, including 600,000 from secondhand smoke. In the United States, an estimated 42.1 million people – about one in five adults – currently smoke, and an estimated 480,000 people die prematurely from diseases caused by smoking or secondhand smoke exposure.CDC has identified reducing tobacco use as a Winnable Battle. With additional effort and support for evidence-based, cost-effective strategies that we can implement now, we will have a significant impact on our nation’s health.

The Tobacco Winnable Battle materials below provide a snapshot of the context and background for this priority area, as well as descriptions of some of the systems, policy, and programmatic interventions pursued by CDC and our public health partners at the federal, state and local levels.

Tobacco Overview Materials:

• PowerPoint slides, which can be tailored for use at the federal, state and local levels by adding specific data, case studies, and other useful information [PPT – 9.15MB]
• Vital Signs
  • Cancer and Tobacco Use
  • E-cigarette Ads and Youth
  • Secondhand Smoke: An Unequal Danger
  • Adult Smoking and Mental Illness 
  • Adult Smoking in the U.S.

For more information about the Tobacco Winnable Battle, please visit www.cdc.gov/tobacco.

If you have questions about the materials provided here, please contact ppeo@cdc.gov