2007 Georgia data summary: tobacco use [Aug. 2007]

2007 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
Over 10,000 Georgians die every year from smoking-related illnesses that is one out of every six adult Georgians who die.
More adult males (6,700) than adult females (3,900) die from smoking-related illnesses.
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 16 years of life compared to adult non-smokers.

Average annual number of deaths among adults ages 35 and older, Georgia, 2000-2005

Attributed to
smoking 17%

CVD* 35%
Cancer 40%

RD* 25%

Total adult deaths = 61,612

Adult deaths attributed to smoking = 10,681

*CVD = Cardiovascular Diseases; RD= Respiratory Diseases

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
Approximately 25,000 (7%) middle school students and 73,000 (17%) high school students in Georgia smoke cigarettes.
Among middle school students, nine in 100 boys and six in 100 girls are smokers.
Among high school students, one in five boys and nearly one in six girls are smokers.
Approximately 18,000 (70%) middle school smokers and 41,000 (56%) high school smokers live with a smoker.
Approximately 97,000 (29%) middle school nonsmokers and 110,000 (31%) high school nonsmokers live with a smoker.
Approximately 9,000 (36%) middle school smokers and 53,000 (73%) high school smokers buy their cigarettes at gas stations or convenience stores.

Rate per 100,000

Percent

Average annual ung cancer incidence and

mortality rates* by race and sex, Georgia,

2000-2004

Incidence

Mortality

140 113

120

95

100

80

60

40

20

0

108 88

42 31

58 44

Black

White

Black

White

males males females females

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

Percent of cigarette smokers by school type and sex, Georgia, 2005

Male

Female

50

40

30

20

10

9

6

19 15

0 Middle School

High School

Youth cigarette smokers are defined as those who have smoked at least one cigarette in the last 30 days.

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

BEHAVIORS: ADULTS
Approximately 1.3 million (20%) adults in Georgia smoke cigarettes.
22% of adult males and 18% 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.
Rural counties in the northwest and southeast regions of the state have the highest adult smoking prevalence.
POLICY
A majority (81%) of adult Georgians do not allow smoking anywhere inside their homes.
Adults with at least a high school education are more likely than adults who did not graduate high school to not allow smoking inside their homes.
A majority (85%) of working adults indicate their worksite does not allow smoking at work.
Almost all (99%) public schools in Georgia have policies prohibiting tobacco use.

Percent

Percent of adults who smoke, by education and sex, Georgia, 2006

50 41

40

32

30

20

10

Male Female

31 21

20 20

12 7

0

<HS

HS/GED Some College

College Graduate

FINANCIAL IMPACT
$1.8 billion in healthcare costs among adults 18 years and older.
$3.3 billion in lost productivity costs among adults 35 years and older.

Percent

Percent of adults who indicate having a policy that does not allow smoking, by location and sex, Georgia, 2006

Male Female

100

80 81

80

82 88

60 40

20

0 At home

At work

Adult cigarette smokers are defined as those who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and are currently smoking.

Data sources: 1. 2006 Georgia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) (http://health.state.ga.us/epi/brfss/publications.asp). 2. 2006 Georgia Student Health Education Profile Survey (http://health.state.ga.us/epi/cdiee/policy.asp). 3. 2005 Georgia Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) (http://health.state.ga.us/epi/cdiee/studenthealth.asp). 4. 2005 Georgia Youth Tobacco Survey (http://health.state.ga.us/epi/cdiee/tobaccouse.asp). 5. Georgia Vital Statistics, 2005; CDC SAMMEC web application (http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/sammec/). 6. Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry.

Date updated: August 2007 Publication number: DPH07/092HW

Visit http://www.health.state.ga.us/epi/cdiee/tobaccouse.asp for more information about tobacco use in Georgia. Visit http://health.state.ga.us/programs/tobacco/index.asp for more information about the Georgia Tobacco Use Prevention Program.

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