Genesee County Health Department

Better Life Through Better Health

Each day over 3,000 youth begin smoking cigarettes for the first time in America. Nearly ninety percent of adults who smoke today took their first puff before age 18. An estimated 594,000 Michigan youth between the ages of 12 to 25 reported tobacco use in 1999.

Cigarette smoking is perhaps the most devastating and preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States. It is estimated that over 430,000 people die each year from smoking-related illnesses, exceeding the combined deaths due to AIDS, murder, suicide, automobile accidents, drug overdoses, fires and alcohol. That is equal to the population of Genesee County. More than 5 million children alive today in America will die prematurely as an adult from smoking-related illnesses. Some tobacco facts to know and remember:

• Children begin using tobacco products between sixth and tenth grade.
• One out of three new smokers will eventually die from a tobacco-related illness.

• Youth who use tobacco experience more colds, bronchitis and missed days of school and work than nonsmokers.

• Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 toxic chemical ingredients, including: arsenic, cyanide, ammonia, carbon monoxide, lead and formaldehyde.

• Symptoms such as dizziness, shortness of breath, coughing, nausea and phlegm production start to develop with the first cigarette.

• Tobacco use can cause emphysema, bronchitis, heart disease, stroke, and cancer of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, lungs, cervix, uterus, and bladder.

For more information about tobacco use, contact the Genesee County Health Department at (810) 257-3612.