Missouri's Smoking Epidemic
Although tobacco
use is well-known as the most preventable
cause of death and disability in the United
States, Missouri has been slow to implement
public policy to counter the problem.
As a result,
Missouri has one of the highest rates of
smoking in the nation.
Missouri
averages 345 smoking-attributable deaths per
100,000 people every year, which translates
to more than 10,000 deaths and more than
$3.8 billion annually in medical costs and
lost productivity.
Missouri's rates
of death and disability from cancer and
heart disease are high to to its smoking
rates. Missouri's smoking rates among adults
are the third-highest in the nation and is
virtually unchanged over the past decade.
Statewide, more
than one-fourth of the adults in Missouri
are smokers and smoking rates approach 40%
in some counties.