Tobacco 101

Each day, about 4,000 kids under 18 try smoking for the first time, and another 1,000 become regular smokers.
Adult male smokers lose an average of 13 years of life and adult female smokers lose an average of 15 years of life.
50,000 Americans die every year from secondhand smoke exposure.
Secondhand smoke causes over 1 million illnesses in children.
Almost 90 percent of adults who have ever been regular smokers began smoking by the time they were 18.
Tobacco companies spend over $16 million a year on lobbying in the U.S. Congress and contributions to federal candidates and political parties.
People who consume 8-10 dips or chews per day of spit tobacco receive the same amount of nicotine as a smoker who smokes 30-40 cigarettes a day.
19.5 percent of high school students are current smokers.