VANDERBURGH COUNTY GOES SMOKEFREE JULY 1, 2011!

Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death and disease in the world, in America, in Indiana and right here in Vanderburgh County.  Cigarettes cause more deaths than cocaine, auto accidents, AIDS, alcohol, heroin, fire, suicide and homicide combined.

The cost to our society is great, including over 5.4 million lives lost every year worldwide, 400,000 in the U.S. and 9,800 in Indiana. This is not including the 50,000 Americans (1,200 Hoosiers) that die every year from exposure to someone else's smoke.

In Vanderburgh County 28% of the adult population smokes.  Thats 37,000 smokers, of which 458  die every year and 9,160 continue to live with a tobacco related illness.

How many times have you heard the words "tough economic times" lately?  How much of it can we contribute to smoking?

$2.08 billion in annual health care costs related to tobacco use each year in Indiana with $487 million in Medicaid costs alone.

Which means each Indiana family pays $585 per household to treat tobacco related diseases each year whether they smoke or not.

Secondhand smoke costs Indiana $390.3 million dollars in excess medical expenses, or about $62 dollars per person each year.

What a drag, right?

This is why we do what we do.

Working Smoke Free Works For Me