Cigarette smoking accounts for about 434,000 deaths, or one fifth of all deaths in the United States. Some facts about smoking are listed below. If rates persist 56,246 Alaska youths currently aged 0-17 will become smokers and 17,999 of them will die prematurely from smoking related illnesses. Prevalence of smoking among youth is not declining. For example, among American high school seniors, the prevalence of smoking has remained largely unchanged since 1980.
Research indicates that higher cigarette prices do significantly reduce cigarette use by teens.
Office of Technology Assessment Estimates for 1990 . 3 Tobacco use among high school students in Alaska and US 1992. 1992 Annual Report, Alaska Division of Public Health.