Sending unhealthy environments up in smoke

Tobacco use is recognized as the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States. It is the foremost reason for the four primary causes of death--heart disease, cancer, emphysema and stroke. Tobacco costs the United States more than $197 billion per year in direct medical and indirect costs (i.e., loss of productivity). Within Michigan, more than 14,500 people die each year from tobacco-related illnesses with monetary losses for the state exceeding more than $6 billion. Additionally, there are no good estimates on the number of Michigan people who suffer from tobacco-related health problems and continue to survive.