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COMPARE THE FACTS Each year approximately 45,000 African Americans die from a preventable smoking-related disease; which represents over 10 percent of the estimated yearly smoking related deaths in the United States.1 Smoking is responsible for 87 percent of lung cancers. African American men are at least 50 percent more likely to develop lung cancer than white men.1 African Americans disproportionately suffer from chronic and preventable disease compared to White Americans. And of the three major causes of death in African Americans - heart disease, cancer and stroke - smoking and other tobacco use are key contributors to these illnesses.1 More than 25 percent of African American youth are exposed to second-hand smoke in the home. In fact, 11 percent of African American middle school students and 17 percent of African American high school students smoke cigarettes.1 If this trend continues, an estimated 1.6 million African Americans who are under age 18 will become regular smokers. And about 500,000 of those smokers will die of a smoking-related disease that could have been 100 percent preventable.1 NATIONAL ESTIMATES Cigarette smoking is more common among men (23.9 percent) than women (18.1 percent).2 Cigarette smoking estimates are highest for adults with General Education Development (GED) diplomas (43.2 percent) or 9 thru11 years of education (32.6 percent), and lowest for adults with an undergraduate college degree (10.7 percent) or a graduate college degree (7.1 percent).2 Cigarette smoking is more common among adults who live below the poverty level (29.9 percent) than among those living at or above the poverty level (20.6 percent).2 Research studies continue to indicate that each time a tobacco excise tax is implemented, smoking prevalence decreases. In fact, in California, it's estimated that the economic impact of an excise tax, not only will decrease smoking occurrence, but will prevent 700,000 kids from starting to smoke, saving 300,000 lives.3 NAATEN The National African American Tobacco Education Network (NAATEN) is supported by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). And as a collaborative, NAATEN works in pursuit of CDC's goal of eliminating health disparities between African Americans, Blacks and the general U.S. population. 1. CDC, cigarette smoking among adults - United States, 2004, 2. Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Rpt 10/27/06, 3. California Dept. of Health Services 2006

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