For years and years, most will be unable to break the stranglehold of nicotine. They will lose their free will, they will lose their good health, many will try to quit and fail. This tragic public health scenario is being played out not only in the USA, but around the world. As millions of young people light up for the first time or use smokeless tobacco. Today, on World No-Tobacco Day, let us be very clear about one inescapable fact.
Tobacco use is a pediatric epidemic Tobacco use is a pediatric epidemic.
The fact is, anyone who has not started smoking by age 19 is unlikely ever to become a smoker. And seven of ten young Americans who smoke say they regret having started in the first place. This is dramatic evidence that we must do everything in our power to prevent young people from taking those first few puffs. Another tragic outcome of tobacco is the tremendous economic price is imposes on all our citizens, including non-smokers. In the United States alone 50 billion dollars a year is spent on tobacco-related illnesses.