Tobacco use remains the chief avoidable cause of death in America, directly responsible for about 1/5 of all deaths in the US. In addition, smoking results in approximately $100 billion in added healthcare costs and another $97 billion in lost productivity8 in the United States each year. Smokers incur $1,600 more in annual healthcare costs per person than do non-smokers9, and smoking is a prime driver of healthcare expenditures for low income and other disadvantaged individuals10.
