BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tomorrow will mark the fifty year anniversary of U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry’s shocking report to American public that there is a scientifically proven link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer.1 Today, the Surgeon General achieved another momentous milestone releasing a new report that links cigarette smoking to more deaths and to 10 more conditions, including diabetes.2
Despite staggering data of the health hazards smoking can cause, smoking is still the number one preventable cause of death in the United States contributing to 480,000 deaths each year, increasing from the previous estimate of about 443,000.3 And adding to the health impacts of smoking, the Surgeon General’s most recent report found that the risk of developing diabetes is 30–40% higher for active smokers than nonsmokers4.
Since that announcement in 1964, smoking rates have declined significantly; a recent data suggests over 8 million US deaths have been prevented since the surgeon general’s declaration5. Despite this positive trend, 1 in 5 Americans still smoke.6
In order to create greater awareness of the dangers of smoking, Health Dialog created this infographic to explore the facts and statistics on smoking in the US today, including the health effects of smoking, financial cost of cigarettes and tobacco, and the health benefits of kicking the habit.
1 http://wtvr.com/2014/01/08/anti-smoking-efforts-have-saved-8-million-lives/
2 http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304419104579325061802429576
3 http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/reports/50-years-of-progress/sgr50-chap-1.pdf
4 http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/reports/50-years-of-progress/sgr50-chap-1.pdf
6 http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/09/in-us-decline-in-smoking-rate-remains-stalled.html
