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Smoking and Tobacco Use

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Smoking and Tobacco Use

Public Healthcare Issue

Smoking and tobacco use has been one of the main public health issues in the United

States and globally. According to the CDC (2022), smoking and tobacco use increases the

risk of contracting diseases such as cancer, stroke, lung diseases, heart disease, diabetes, and

certain eye diseases, among other health problems. In the United States, tobacco use is the

leading cause of preventable diseases, death, and disability (CDC, 2021). According to a

2019 survey, about 40 million American adults (14%) smoke cigarettes (CDC, 2021). What is

more concerning is that 4.7 million students in middle and high schools consume at least one

tobacco product (CDC, 2021).

While the number of people using tobacco is already high, it is rapidly rising. Every

day, about 1,600 people below 18 years smoke their first cigarette, translating to over half a

million new smokers annually (CDC, 2021). About half a million Americans die annually,

and 16 million people are living with diseases caused by smoking and secondary exposure to

tobacco smoke (CDC, 2021). Tobacco use is also a burden to the healthcare budget, with the

United States spending about $225 billion annually on treating tobacco-related diseases

among adults (CDC, 2021). The above statistics indicate that smoking and tobacco use is a

serious public health issue that needs to be addressed.

Target Population

This program targets youth aged 12 to 30 years, both male and female, in middle and

high schools, as well as colleges. This population is targeted since they are at a higher risk of

being initiated into smoking due to peer pressure, among other factors. Young adults are also

more likely to cease smoking than older adults (Husten, 2007). Therefore, programs targeting

young adults are likely to be more effective than those targeting older adults. The selected
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target population will help the program achieve two important objectives; tobacco use

prevention and reduction.

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References

CDC. (2021). Data and Statistics. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved 30

December 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/.

CDC. (2022). Health Effects of Smoking and Tobacco Use. Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention. Retrieved 1 January 2022, from

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/health_effects/index.htm.

Husten, C. (2007). Smoking Cessation in Young Adults. American Journal Of Public

Health, 97(8), 1354-1356. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2007.117358