The federal government reports that more than 5 million children living today will die prematurely because of a decision they will make as adolescents - the decision to smoke cigarettes.
Tobacco is the number one preventable cause of death in the United States.
Most lung cancer deaths are related to tobacco use. More than 400,000 people die every year as a result of tobacco use. Approximately 80 percent of current adult smokers started smoking when they were still children. By the end of the day today, nearly 3,000 young Americans will have become regular smokers. Educating youth about the dangers of smoking is the most effective way to decrease the number of future adults who will suffer from tobacco-related diseases, such as lung cancer.