Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death, killing 860 District residents each year.

Washington, DC – As part of the District of Columbia Department of Health’s (DOH) ongoing efforts to improve the health and quality of life of District residents, DOH released the first report that outlines the top preventable causes of death for the District. Preventable Risk Factors Attributed to Preventable Causes of Death in the District of Columbia, 2007 (The Report) uses formulas, previously applied only to national and state data, to local health data for District residents.

The District is the first city and third state level jurisdiction to put together a preventable cause of death report based on residential data. The preventable causes of death outlined in The Report made up 49.5% of all deaths in the District in 2007. “Information like this is the key to residents making smart decisions about their health,” said District of Columbia Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. “This report illustrates clearly how much we have to do to help people live healthier lives, because the choices we make can have serious impact on our health.”
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National Poll Finds Voters Prefer Tobacco Tax to Other Tax Increases, Budget Cuts

Raising District of Columbia’s cigarette tax by $1 per pack would bring in $6.8 million in new annual revenue to help close the state’s budget shortfall, while also reducing smoking and saving lives, according to a national report released today by a coalition of public health organizations.

The report comes as states grapple with unprecedented budget shortfalls and face devastating cuts to education, health care and other essential public services.  The report details the revenue and health benefits to each state of a $1 cigarette tax increase.

In District of Columbia, a $1 cigarette tax increase would also:

• Prevent 2,500 kids from becoming smokers;
• Spur 1,900 current adult smokers to quit;
• Save 1,300 residents from premature, smoking-caused deaths; and
• Save $61.8 million in health care costs.

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Don’t Let Smoking Have the Final Note in Your Life

Decades later, the tobacco industry continues to prey on the African American community — together we can end the industry’s stronghold and the scourge of tobacco addiction.

As published in the Washington Informer newspaper, 2/11/10

Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, Sammy Davis, Jr., Mary Wells, Ella Fitzgerald, and Eddie Kendricks were not merely great entertainers of their time. They were legendary icons who revolutionized the music and entertainment industry during times of racial prejudice and inequality. Their unwavering courage, perseverance and unique talent earned them some of the highest accolades in the world, inspiring generations of black artists to overcome obstacles and to reach their fullest potential. Whenever we listen to these singers, many of us remember the smoky piano bars and clubs they performed in, and how “sophisticated” they looked when they lit that ever-present cigarette and belted out a smooth ballad. These fond memories are marred today by the tragic reality that their smoking led to their untimely deaths and robbed the Black community of its brightest stars. Read More.

District smokers who call 800-QUIT-NOW will receive free nicotine patches, lozenges and counseling.

In observance of American Heart Month, the American Lung Association of DC (ALADC) is urging District smokers to quit in order to reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease caused by smoking. According to research from the World Health Organization, (WHO) the number of heart disease fatalities in the United States could be halved if “one in two smokers in the United States stopped smoking.” In fact, within one year of quitting smoking, the risk of heart attack is cut in half. Tobacco smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke are among the top six major independent and preventable risk factors for coronary heart disease and has been named the leading preventable cause of disease and death by the U.S. Surgeon General.

The seriousness of tobacco-related diseases has led to the District’s smoke-free laws and the launch of the DC Tobacco Free Families Campaign, a project of ALADC, the DC Cancer Consortium, and the DC Health Department to reduce tobacco use prevalence in the District.

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Half of the 400,000 deaths from coronary heart disease predicted in the United States in 2010 could be avoided if people ate healthier food and stopped smoking, according to research published Monday.

The study of cardiovascular risk factors published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization (WHO) said improvements in cardiovascular health had stalled since the 1990s because of a dramatic rise in obesity and diabetes.

The number of heart disease fatalities in the United States could be halved if “one smoker in two in the United States stopped smoking”, taking the proportion of smokers down from 25 percent to 12 percent of the population, WHO official Laragh Gollogly told AFP.

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