Deaths from smoking in the United States

Deaths from smoking in the United States Particular emphasis is given to the number of deaths in middle age (defined as ages 35 to 69) Available on This presentation provides estimates of the number of deaths caused by smoking in the United States

Source of data: Mortality from Smoking in Developed Countries, 1950–2000 Uses WHO mortality data for lung cancer and for other diseases, and UN population data Updated edition of a 1994 book, authored by an international team of scientists: –Richard Peto, Professor of Medical Statistics, University of Oxford –Alan Lopez, Professor of Medical Statistics, University of Queensland –Jillian Boreham, Senior Research Fellow, University of Oxford –Michael Thun, Chief of Epidemiology, American Cancer Society

Deaths from smoking, 1950 to 2000 About half (8.5 million) of them were still in middle age when they died This was about one in four of all the deaths in middle age during this period (8.5 million out of the 35 million deaths at ages 35-69) United States About 15 million people died from smoking during this 50-year period in the United States

Annual deaths from smoking About 192,000 die in middle age from smoking Many of those killed in middle age would have lived on for 10, 20, 30 or more good years About 23 years of life are lost, on average, by those killed in middle age by smoking United States, year 2000 Smoking kills about 512,000 people a year in the United States

Smoking causes about three times as many deaths as all non-medical causes put together United States, year ,268* non-medical Murder / assault Falls SuicideDrowning Road accidentsPoisoning Plane crashesFires Train crashesFloods / storms Accidents at work Other natural disasters Accidents at homeOther accidents *in year ,000 smoking

Smoking kills 512,000 people a year, from many different diseases United States, year 2000 *includes 138,000 (89%) of the 155,521 lung cancer deaths 185,000 cancer* 144,000 vascular (heart disease, stroke and other diseases of the arteries and veins) 108,000 respiratory 75,000 other

553,000 total cancer deaths About one in three of all cancer deaths is due to smoking United States, year ,000 (33%) from smoking 286,000 male 115,000 (40%) from smoking 267,000 female 70,000 (26%) from smoking

Male deaths in middle age from smoking This pattern is seen first in middle age, then in old age The next three slides concentrate on male deaths in middle age The main pattern of increase and, eventually, decrease in premature deaths from smoking is at a more advanced stage among men than among women

About one in four of all deaths in middle-aged men is due to smoking* United States, year 2000 *118,000 (29%) of the 405,000 deaths at ages 35-69

Of 100 men aged 35 years … United States, year 2000 *risks at year 2000 death rates for ages die in middle age* 27% 8 of these 27 deaths are from smoking 8

Male death in middle age: changing hazards* United States, % All causes 42% 43% 39% 36% 31% 30% 27% 34% 6 Smoking

Summary for the whole population Smoking kills about 512,000 men and women every year About 192,000 die in middle age from smoking Smoking causes about three times as many deaths as all non-medical causes put together About one in three of all cancer deaths is due to smoking United States, year 2000 In the United States:

Messages for the individual smoker Those killed in middle age lose many years Stopping smoking works –Even in early middle age, those who stop (before they have lung cancer or some other fatal disease) avoid most of their risk of being killed by tobacco –Stopping before middle age works even better The risk is big: about half are killed

Deaths from smoking: an electronic resource Published by International Union Against Cancer (UICC), Geneva: Switzerland, 2006 Funded by Clinical Trial Service Unit & Epidemiological Studies Unit (CTSU), University of Oxford International Union Against Cancer (UICC) Fogarty International Center, US NIH UK Medical Research Council Cancer Research UK Project team Richard Peto, Judith Watt, Jillian Boreham Project managementSinéad Jones Advice and support Steve Woodward, Konrad Jamrozik, Lesley Walker, Trish Cotter Design bwa-design.co.uk