Why prevent tobacco use initiation?
Tobacco is one of the leading causes of preventable illness and disability. In fact, it is the leading cause of premature death in Canada. In Canada, 45,000 people die due to tobacco annually. This translates to a Canadian dying every 12 minutes from tobacco related diseases. The risks associated with smoking include (among others): • Cardiovascular Diseases • Pulmonary Diseases • Cancer The societal costs, including direct health care costs, lost productivity, and foregone household income, attributable to smoking for the years of 1992 and 1993 were approximately $9.5 and $11 billion. Prevention of such an addiction would have an impact on the health of Canadians and the cost incurred by society.
