Smoking Illnesses And Deaths. Whos Accountable

Smoking Illnesses and Deaths. Who’s Accountable?

Each year more than 400,000 Americans die from cigarette smoking. Or approximately 1200 a day. One in every five deaths in the United States is smoking related. When cigarette smoking first came about there was no surgeon general health warning labels to deter people from smoking. But it only takes a little common sense to see that inhaling smoke can’t be good for you. These days the ignorance excuse can not be used. Due to the mounting evidence given by the Attorney General and American Cancer Society that smoking causes illness, disease and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 44.5 million US adults were current smokers in 2006 (the most recent year for which numbers are available). This is 20.8% of all adults (23.9% of men, 18.0% of women) -- more than 1 out of 5 people. When broken down by race/ethnicity, the numbers were as follows: Whites 21.9%, African Americans 23.0%, Hispanics 15.2%, American Indians/Alaska, Natives 32.4%, Asian Americans 10.4%. But the numbers were even higher in younger age groups. In 2006, CDC reported almost 24% of those 18 to 44 years old were current smokers, compared to 10.2% in those aged 65 or older. Nationwide, 22.3% of high school students and 8.1% of middle school students were smoking in 2004. Are tobacco companies responsible because they make a dangerous and addictive product? Or should the individual smokers be responsible for their own actions and the health complications that come with them? Smoking starts as a choice, cigarette companies don’t come to your door hold you down and make you smoke their cigarettes. People know the consequences of smoking and what it can do to you and yet still pick up cigarette after cigarette. Granted a lot of people started before they knew it was bad for them. But there are no excuses for recent starters especially