This goal cannot be achieved by state and local governments alone.
Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death and disease in New Jersey.
Each year too many New Jerseyans have a diagnosis of cancer, cardiac, pulmonary, and other diseases which significantly impact their quality of life. Each year more than 12,830 New Jersey residents die of diseases directly related to tobacco use. 1 DHSS considers limiting tobacco use to be of the highest priority. The problem of tobacco use is community-wide. Medical expenditures associated with tobacco-related illnesses affect people directly as individuals and indirectly as taxpayers.