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Top 15 Tobacco Facts

  1. Secondhand smoke is associated with an increased risk for lung cancer and coronary heart disease in nonsmoking adults.
  1. Secondhand smoke contains a complex mixture of more than 4,000 chemicals with more than 60 of which cause cancer.
  1. Tobacco use kills more than 6,400 Louisianans each year.
  1. Tobacco use costs Louisiana $1.15 billion annually in direct medical expenditures, raising the cost of health insurance for everyone.
  1. 23.9% of Louisiana adults smoke.
  1. In Louisiana, 650-1090 people will die each year from the effects of exposure to secondhand smoke.
  1. Two-thirds of Louisiana residents think that smoking should not be allowed at all indoor work areas.
  1. Over one-third of Louisiana workers are not protected by smoke-free policies.
  1. 81% of registered voters in Louisiana are in favor of the fact that the Louisiana Smoke-Free Air Act eliminates smoking in restaurants.
  1. A recent study conducted by The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living and LSU School of Public Health, shows that the indoor air quality of restaurants has improved from ‘hazardous” to “moderate” since the enactment of The Louisiana Smoke-Free Air Act.
  1. 25% of high school students in Louisiana smoke.
  1. 9,000 kids (under age 18) in Louisiana become new daily smokers every year.
  1. An estimated 107,900 kids in Louisiana who are currently under 18 years will die prematurely from smoking.
  1. An estimated 22% of children are exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes.
  1. In young children, exposure to secondhand smoke is associated with an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia.

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