Toll of Tobacco

Youth

Tobacco is still a problem in North Dakota. Tobacco companies are after our kids and it’s working.

90% of smokers start smoking before their 18th birthday
Every year, 300 North Dakota kids become daily, addicted smokers.

Smoking kills people. We know this. But since dead people can't smoke, tobacco companies have to find a replacement for every person they kill. Their favorite replacements are kids.

Increasing the price of tobacco is one of the most effective methods to prevent youth from ever starting to use tobacco.

Learn more about youth and tobacco use.

Tobacco’s Toll in North Dakota:

Adults who die each year due to their own smoking: 1,000
Kids under 18 who become new daily smokers each year: 200
Annual healthcare costs caused by smoking: $326 million
Yearly tax burden from smoking-caused government expenditures: $717 per household
Smoking-caused productivity losses: $232.6 million each year
Annual tobacco industry marketing expenditures in North Dakota: $38.2 million
ND Tobacco Report Card

Learn more about North Dakota's tobacco use rates and the toll of tobacco in North Dakota here.

The facts are clear on the toll of smoking and secondhand smoke, and the importance of programs to help people quit and prevent youth from starting tobacco use. The most basic fact is simple: reducing the number of people who smoke or are exposed to secondhand smoke saves money and lives.

Source: Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids

Tobacco Use in ND by Race 1-2017

Tobacco and Cancer

Tobacco use is linked to at least 12 types of cancer. Each year in the U.S., 660,000 people are diagnosed with tobacco-related cancer. Smoking causes one-third of all cancer deaths in the U.S. Find out more in the CDC Vital Signs Report on tobacco and cancer.

Costs of Tobacco
Tobacco takes a tremendous toll in lives and money, in North Dakota, across the country, and all around the world.

Learn more about the true costs of tobacco.

Vaping
Vaping devices or Electronic Cigarettes are products designed to deliver nicotine or other substances to a user in the form of a vapor. Typically, they are composed of a rechargeable, battery-operated heating element, a replaceable cartridge that may contain nicotine or other chemicals, and an atomizer that, when heated, converts the contents of the cartridge into a vapor.

Learn more about the vaping epidemic.

Tobacco Industry Tactics
Big Tobacco means Big Money. Each year, the tobacco industry spends $8.5 billion marketing its products in the US.

Learn more about tobacco industry tactics.