Tobacco use is the most common form of drug abuse. It’s also the most preventable cause of death in the United States. Smoking cigarettes, pipes, or cigars can cause heart attacks, strokes, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and cancers of the lung, larynx, mouth, esophagus, bladder, pancreas, and cervix.

Using smokeless tobacco in any form (including chewing tobacco or snuff) is dangerous and can also lead to addiction and serious health conditions. Most smokers know smoking is very bad for their health and most smokers want to stop. If you don't smoke, don't start. If you do smoke, try to stop.

Here are some facts about tobacco:

• Tobacco-related illnesses are the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.
• Tobacco use kills more than 1,200 people a day in the US. Every year, more than 440,000 people die from illnesses caused from smoking or chewing tobacco.
• Smokeless tobacco, or snuff, can cause cancers of the mouth, tongue, and throat.
• About 80 percent of adult smokers started as teenagers.
• Every day, almost 5,000 kids under the age of 18 try their first cigarette.
• More than 6.4 million children living today will die young because they smoke.
• More people die from illnesses caused by tobacco than from AIDS, murder, suicide, fires, and illegal drugs combined.
• Tobacco companies put ammonia in cigarettes so smokers’ brains will absorb more nicotine.