2005 Georgia data summary: tobacco use [Dec. 2005]

2005 Georgia Data Summary:
TOBACCO USE

Tobacco use costs Georgia an estimated $5 billion every year.

The burden of tobacco-related illness among adults in Georgia is high.

DEATHS
Nearly 11,000 Georgians die every year from tobacco-related illnesses that is one out of every six adult Georgians who die.
63% of tobacco-related deaths occur in males.
Cancer accounts for 40% of all adult deaths due to smoking, while cardiovascular diseases and respiratory diseases account for 35% and 25% of all adult deaths due to smoking, respectively.
Adult smokers lose an average of 15.6 years of life compared to adult non-smokers.
LUNG CANCER MORTALITY
Lung cancer accounts for 79% of all smoking-related cancer deaths in Georgia.
Lung cancer is the principal cause of cancer deaths for males and females.
BEHAVIORS: YOUTH
9% of middle and 21% of high school students in Georgia smoke cigarettes.
11% of middle school male students and 8% of middle school female students are smokers.
23% of high school male students and 19% of high school female students are smokers.
Nearly three-fourths of middle school smokers and over a half of high school smokers live with a smoker.
About one-third of middle school and high school non-smokers live with a smoker.
Gas stations and convenience stores are the most common places where Georgia youth purchase their cigarettes.

Rate per 100,000

Deaths among adults ages 35 years and older, Georgia, 2003

Attributed to smoking 17%

CVD* 35%
Cancer 40%

RD* 25%

Total adult deaths = 62,136

Adult deaths attributed to smoking = 10,813

*CVD = Cardiovascular Diseases; RD= Respiratory Diseases

Lung cancer incidence and mortality rates* by race and sex, Georgia, 1998-2002

Incidence

140 116

120

101

100

80

60

40

20

0

109 91

Black males

White males

Mortality

40 31

56 43

Black

White

females females

*Rates are age-adjusted to the 2000 US standard population

Percent of cigarette smokers by school type and sex, Georgia, 2003

Male

Female

50

40

30

20

11 8

10

23 19

0 Middle School

High School

Percent

Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Public Health 2 Peachtree Street, NW Atlanta, GA 30303 (404) 657-3103 gdphinfo@dhr.state.ga.us http://health.state.ga.us

BEHAVIORS: ADULTS
23% of adult Georgians ages 18 and older smoke cigarettes.
26% of adult males and 20% of adult females are smokers.
Adults with less than a high school education are more likely than adults with a high school education or above to smoke cigarettes.
POLICY
Over 90% of public schools in Georgia have adopted policies prohibiting tobacco use.
90% of worksites in Georgia have a formal policy prohibiting smoking on the job.
Worksites with 250 or more employees are more likely than smaller worksites to have formal policies.
8% of worksites in Georgia offer smoking cessation programs to their employees.
83% of health maintenance organizations in Georgia offer assessment and counseling for tobacco cessation to all their members.
FINANCIAL IMPACT

Percent

Percent

Percent of adult smokers ages 18+ by education and sex, Georgia 2003

50 42

Male Female

40 30

29

31 25

24 21

20

15 10

10

0

<HS HS/GED Some/Tech College College Graduate

Percent of schools, worksites and health maintenance organizations with a formal policy on tobacco, Georgia, 2002 and 2004

100

93

93

90

83

80 60

40 20

0

Middle

High Worksites HMOs

Schools Schools

$1.8 billion in healthcare costs among adults 18 years and older.

$3.2 billion in lost productivity costs among adults 35 years and older.

Adult cigarette smokers are defined as those who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and are currently smoking. Youth cigarette smokers are defined as those who have smoked at least one cigarette in the last 30 days.

Data sources: 1. Georgia Vital Statistics, 2003; CDC SAMMEC web application. 2. Lung Cancer in Georgia, 1999-2002 report, unpublished. 3. 2003 Georgia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). 4. 2003 Georgia Student Health Survey (YRBS). 5. 2002 Georgia Student Health Education Profile Survey. 6. 2004 Georgia Health Plan Survey.
Date updated: December 2005 Publication number: DPH05.126H Visit http://www.health.state.ga.us/epi/cdiee/tobaccouse.asp for more information about tobacco use in Georgia.

Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Public Health 2 Peachtree Street, NW Atlanta, GA 30303 (404) 657-3103 gdphinfo@dhr.state.ga.us http://health.state.ga.us