Tatu Facts
- Smokers start smoking as children. 80% of smokers started before age 18.
- Each year more than 700,000 teenagers aged 11-17 become regular smokers. That's about 2,000 a day. Nearly a third of them will die prematurely from a smoking- related disease.
- Approximately 28% of high school students and 11% of middle school students currently smoke.
- In 2001, 19% of high school seniors smoked daily -- up from 17.2% in 1992.
- Tobacco kills more people than AIDS, murder, alcohol abuse and drunk driving combined.
- Nicotine, the stimulant in tobacco, is as addictive as cocaine or heroin.
- In the U.S. each yer, smoking causes more than 440,000 deaths ad costs our nation more than $150 billion in healthcare costs and lost productivity. It's the single most preventable cause of death and disease.
- The tobacco industry spends more than $8 billion each year -- that's $21 million each day or $15,000 a minute -- on advertising and special promotions.
- 34% of teens begin smoking as a result of tobacco company promotional activities.
- The use of spit tobacco by young males has soared since the 1970's. Spit tobacco is not a safe alternative to cigarettes. It's addictive and causes mouth cancer and gum and tooth problems.
- Most teens don't want to date anyone who smokes or uses spit tobacco.
- Tobacco is the only product that when used exactly as intended causes addiction and disease and kills the customer.