Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids estimates that more Montanans die each year from smoking than from car accidents, alcohol, drugs, AIDS, suicide, and murders combined. Tobacco use is also the single most preventable cause of death and disease in our society. (Source: Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, www.tobaccofree.mt.gov

On an average day, nearly four Montanans die prematurely from smoking related diseases. That’s more than 1,400 annually. (Source: Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, www.tobaccofree.mt.gov

Secondhand smoke kills approximately 110 – 200 Montanans yearly. Surveys show one out of four Montana homes have been smoked in recently, and children lived in 35% of those homes. (Source: Protect Montana Kids, www.protectmontanakids.org

Tobacco-related health care costs in Montana total over $216 million per year. (Source: Protect Montana Kids, www.protectmontanakids.org

In 2002, 19% of all women delivering babies in Montana smoked tobacco during their pregnancy. (Source: MT Vital Statistics Bureau)

The prevalence of cigarette smoking among American Indian adults in Montana is about twice that of Montanans overall. (Source: Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Montana Tobacco Use Surveillance Report: Tobacco use among American Indian and non-Indian adults in Montana, 1999)

Among Montana's American Indians, the leading causes of death are cancer and heart disease. Tobacco use is a critical risk factor for both. (Source: CDC, The Burden of Chronic Diseases and their Risk Factors: National and State Perspectives, 2002)

The tobacco industry has targeted American Indians by funding cultural events like pow-wows and rodeos and using Indian cultural symbols and designs in advertisements.
 

Percentage of Montana high school students who reported current cigarette smoking: 19% (Source: Montana Office of Public Instruction, 2003 Montana Youth Risk Assessment Survey)

Percentage of Montana 7th and 8th grade students who reported current cigarette smoking: 13% (Source: Montana Office of Public Instruction, 2003 Montana Youth Risk Assessment Survey)

Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids estimates that Montana kids buy or smoke about 3.9 million packs of cigarettes each year. (Source: Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids)

Nationally, more than a third of all kids who ever try smoking a cigarette become regularly daily smokers before leaving high school. Most who become regular smokers continue to smoke throughout adulthood. (Source: Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, www.tobaccofree.mt.gov

Almost 90% of adult smokers began at or before age 18. (Source: Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, www.tobaccofree.mt.gov
MONTANA TOBACCO USE PREVENTION PROGRAM • P.O. BOX 202951 • HELENA, MT 59620

20% of Montana high school boys use chew or spit tobacco. (Source: Montana Office of Public Instruction, 2003 Montana Youth Risk Assessment Survey)

 Spit tobacco users are up to 50 times more likely to get oral cancer than non-users. (Source: Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, www.tobaccofree.mt.gov

Chew can be more addictive than cigarettes because it contains more nicotine. One can of chew delivers as much nicotine as 60 cigarettes. (Source: Academy of General Dentistry)

Among high school seniors who have ever used spit tobacco, almost three-fourths began by the ninth grade. (Source: Academy of General Dentistry)

Overall, almost one in two (45%) of adult cigarette smokers tried to quit smoking in 2002. More females than males reported they tried to quit smoking cigarettes – 47.9% and 42% respectively. (Source: CDC, 2002 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey System)

Montana youth also try to stop smoking cigarettes. In 2003, three of five (61%) of high school students who smoked cigarettes reported they tried to quit in the past 12 months. (Source: Montana Office of Public Instruction, 2003 Montana Youth Risk Assessment Survey)