Tobacco Control
Tobacco use is the number one preventable cause of death, but hundreds of Vermonters still die each year from tobacco-related diseases. Countless other lives, including those of friends and families of smokers, are touched by the negative effects of tobacco use in our state.
Tobacco: Still the #1 Real Killer
Tobacco is still the leading cause of preventable
death. Smoking leads to or complicates asthma,
heart disease, cancer, lung diseases, stroke, low
birth weight in babies, and infant mortality.
Of the estimated 75,500 adult Vermonters who
smoked in 2010, half of those who continue will
likely die of a smoking-related cause.
Who Smokes and Who Does Not?
About one-third of very low income (31%), and
uninsured (35%) adults smoke. Those who did
not graduate from high school are more likely
to smoke (39%), and an estimated 38% of adults
with mental illness smoke. Also in Vermont, 27%
of adults and 19% of youth of racial and ethnic
minorities are current smokers, compared to
17% of adults and 13% of white non-Hispanic
youth.
Exposure to Smoke = Smoking
There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand
smoke, yet 43% of adult nonsmokers in
Vermont report having been exposed recently.
Laws and bans on smoking in public places, at
home and in the car, lead to quit attempts.
Most Smokers Try to Quit
Quitting has almost immediate health benefits,
but it can take many tries before a smoker can
quit successfully. Every year since 2004, more
than half of all smokers in Vermont have made a
quit attempt.
Healthy Vermonters 2020 and Tobacco
Healthy Vermonters 2020 is the state health assessment plan that documents the health status of Vermonters and will guide the work of public health through 2020.
HV2020 Tobacco Use Goals:
- Reduce youth smoking
- Reduce adult smoking
- Increase the number of adults who attempt to quit smoking
- Reduce exposure to second-hand-smoke
Measuring Performance
The Healthy Vermonters Toolkit includes a Performance Dashboard so you can see our real-time data on "how we're doing."