CHILDREN'S ACCESS TO TOBACCO TOBACCO KILLS

• Nicotine, the primary psycho active substance in tobacco, is considered by many medical authorities as being more addictive than alcohol or cocaine, and is considered the gateway to drugs.
• More than 434,000 people die each year from tobacco related illnesses, making it the single most preventable cause of death in the U.S.
• Those who die from smoking each year -- plus those who kick the deadly habit -- are replaced by 1 million teenagers who begin smoking annually.
• In Florida, more than 28,000 deaths annually (23% of total deaths) are tobacco related.
• Tobacco kills more people than alcohol, cocaine, crack, heroin, homicide, suicide, car accidents, fires and AIDS combined. TOBACCO AFFECTS TEENS & CHILDREN
• Nearly 20% of American teenagers smoke cigarettes.
• About half of all daily smoking high school seniors say they would like to quit.
• Less than 5% of daily smoking high schools seniors think they will be smoking in five years -- but follow-up studies show that 73% of daily smoking high schoolers are still daily smokers 8 years later.
• Children ages 12 to 14 have the highest rate of initiating daily smoking. Of those pack-a-day smokers in their senior year of high school, 57% began daily smoking by age 14 (ninth grade).
• The majority of all current smokers began their addiction by age 16.
• Cigarettes are still the most prevalent drug, other than alcohol, used during adolescence.
• About 7% of A-average students in high school are daily smokers, whereas nearly 50% of D-average students are daily smokers.

THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY TARGETS CHILDREN

• The tobacco industry spends more than $3 billion annually in the U.S. on advertising -- $100 per second.
• Advertising induces children to buy cigarettes. Since Camel's Old Joe cartoon campaign began, Camel's share of the children's cigarette market has gone from 0.5% to 32.8%.
• About 30% of 3-year-olds and 90% of 6-year-olds recognize Old Joe and associate him with Camel cigarettes -- the same percentage that associate Mickey Mouse with the Disney Channel.

TOBACCO USAGE COSTS US MONEY

• The Secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services estimates that tobacco related health care costs exceed $52 billion per year nationally.
• HRS estimates that tobacco related health care costs and lost wages exceed $2.5 billion per year in Florida (of the $35 billion spent on health care in Florida.)

PUBLIC OPINION FAVORS STRICT REGULATION

According to the U.S. Public Health Service, a recent survey shows that 70% of adults believe tobacco should be as strictly controlled as alcohol; 84% believe merchants who sell tobacco to children should be fined; and 83% believe cigarette vending machines should be eliminated from places where teens are likely to congregate.

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