In short, work on smoking cessation in everyone, but be extra vigilant in your efforts to keep youngsters from starting. Yes, I'm a crusader against smoking and proud of it. I hope you are too and that this is one area where you'll pull out all the stops. Some startling facts about tobacco use Tobacco use is responsible for nearly one in five deaths in the United States. Smokers lose an average of 15 years of life.
White students are more likely than black or Hispanic students to smoke frequently.
Use of smokeless tobacco by young men is increasing, even though it increases the risk of cancer of the cheek and gum by nearly fiftyfold in long-time users. Smokers who quit smoking before age 50 have half the risk of dying in the next 15 years as those who continue smoking. Bibliography American Cancer Society. The role of the primary care physician in tobacco use prevention and cessation. Kessler DA, Witt AM, Barnett PS, et al.