Tobacco Use

Tobacco use refers to the consumption of tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, and electronic nicotine delivery systems (e-cigarettes or vapes). It is a leading cause of preventable disease and death, contributing to serious health conditions including lung cancer, heart disease, and chronic respiratory illnesses. Tobacco products are addictive because they contain nicotine.

Long-term tobacco use is associated with increased incidence of lung cancer, heart disease, and chronic respiratory illnesses. Environmental and secondhand exposures put others at risk too.

Tobacco use is a leading cause of preventable disease and death worldwide, contributing to over 8 million deaths globally each year, including more than 480,000 occurring in the United States. Smoking-related illnesses cost the U.S. economy over $300 billion annually in medical expenses and lost productivity. Despite progress in reducing smoking rates, new tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, pose ongoing and complex public health challenges, particularly among youth.

Tobacco has a long history of commercial promotion and societal acceptance despite its well-documented health risks. Public health campaigns and policies, such as tobacco taxes, smoking bans, and tobacco marketing restrictions have helped reduce smoking rates, but challenges remain. In the mid-20th century, growing scientific evidence revealed the health risks of tobacco, but tobacco companies worked to suppress this information. This ultimately led to the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, which secured funding for anti-smoking efforts and imposed restrictions on advertising. While overall tobacco use has declined, disparities persist, with some groups experiencing higher rates of tobacco use and tobacco-related illness and death. Youth and young adults are particularly vulnerable to tobacco industry marketing and peer influence. Aggressive marketing by the tobacco industry, especially targeting youth and marginalized populations, has contributed to addiction and disparities in tobacco-related illnesses.

Comprehensive tobacco control policies can lower healthcare costs, reduce premature deaths, and improve air quality. Regulatory measures, such as restricting advertising and raising taxes on tobacco, have proven effective in curbing tobacco use at a population level.

Large-scale changes can be achieved through policy interventions, such as raising the legal age for tobacco purchase, implementing smoke-free environments, and funding public health campaigns. Strengthening the regulation of emerging tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, is also critical to preventing nicotine addiction in new generations.