Stats and Facts

1. Stats and Facts Tobacco use is the most significant cause of preventable disease, disability, and premature death in Canada, responsible for more than 37,000 deaths every year. (www.nnsw.ca)

2. Stats and Facts 18% of New Brunswickers aged 15+ smoke daily 12% of NBers aged 15 to 19 smoke daily 19% of NBers aged 20 to 24 smoke daily 24% of NBers aged 25 to 44 smoke daily 14% of NBers aged 45+ smoke daily (CTUMS 2007)

3. Stats and Facts 10% of children aged 0 �11 are exposed to second hand smoke in the home (CTUMS 2007)

4. Stats and Facts Children have a higher metabolism and can absorb higher amounts of smoke than adults. (Health Canada)

5. Stats and Facts Infants and children exposed to second-hand smoke are more likely to suffer chronic respiratory illness, impaired lung function, middle ear infections, food allergies and can even succumb to sudden infant death syndrome. (Health Canada)

6. Stats and Facts Second-hand smoke has at least twice the nicotine and tar as the smoke inhaled by the smoker. (Health Canada)

7. Stats and Facts Increasing ventilation will dilute the smoke in a room, but will not make it safe since there is no known safe level of exposure to the carcinogens in cigarette smoke. (Health Canada)

8. Stats and Facts Parental smoking is a key factor in children accepting smoking as normal. (Lynch BS, Bonnie RJ Eds. Growing Up Tobacco Free. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1994:54-55)

9. Stats and Facts Research has found that children of smokers were almost twice as likely to smoke as children with parents who never smoked. (Bauman KE, Foshee VA, Linzer MA, Koch GG. Effect Of Parental Smoking Classification On The Association Between Parental And Adolescent Smoking. Addictive Behaviours. 1990;15(5):413-22.)

10. Stats and Facts Tobacco kills three times more Canadians each year than alcohol, AIDS, illegal drugs, car accidents, suicide, and murder -- all combined!� (www.nnsw.ca)

11. Stats and Facts Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, including at least 50 that cause, initiate or promote cancer such as tar, ammonia, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and benzopyrene. (Health Canada)

12. Stats and Facts 22% of all deaths in Canada are attributable to tobacco use. (Provincial Student Wellness Fact Sheets)

13. Stats and Facts Half of all long-term smokers will die or be disabled by a smoking-related illness. (www.nnsw.ca)

14. Stats and Facts Research shows that smoking tobacco can lead to respiratory and upper digestive tract cancers, particularly cancer of the mouth, throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx) and esophagus. (Health Canada)

15. Stats and Facts Research also indicates that smoking tobacco is a contributing cause of leukemia and cancers of the bladder, stomach, kidney and pancreas. Female smokers are at greater risk for developing cervical cancer. (Health Canada)

16. Stats and Facts Smoking is the number one cause of preventable home fire deaths in Canada. (www.nnsw.ca)

17. Stats and Facts Adults who live with a smoker have a 30% greater chance of getting lung cancer and a 20-30% increased risk of dying of heart disease. (www.nnsw.ca)

18. Stats and Facts Children regularly exposed to tobacco smoke have a higher risk of developing various health problems, such as bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infections, and asthma.� (www.nnsw.ca)

19. Stats and Facts Students who use tobacco show a decrease in academic achievement and motivation, and are at increased risk of dropping out of school. (Provincial Student Wellness Fact Sheets)

20. Stats and Facts Tobacco use is more predictive of dropping out than marijuana use or alcohol use. (Provincial Student Wellness Fact Sheets)

21. Stats and Facts Using tobacco at an early age has also been associated with other risk behaviours including problem substance use. (Provincial Student Wellness Fact Sheets)

22. Stats and Facts Overall, 23% of the students who have never smoked a cigarette have low-confidence in their ability to remain smoke-free in the future. (Provincial Student Wellness Fact Sheets)

23. Stats and Facts The highest susceptibility to smoking occurs in grades 8 and 9. (Provincial Student Wellness Fact Sheets)

24. Stats and Facts For children and adolescents, smoking signifies maturity, control, defiance, individuality, and a means of coping with stress. (Health Canada)

25. Stats and Facts Obtaining Cigarettes: 21% of youth report that cigarettes are given to them by their parents, siblings, friends, or someone else. 25% report asking someone else to buy cigarettes for them. 14% report buying them from a friend or someone else. (Provincial Student Wellness Fact Sheets)

26. Stats and Facts 18% of youth have tried cigars, cigarillos or little cigars (Provincial Student Wellness Fact Sheets)

27. Stats and Facts 5% of youth have smoked pipe tobacco (Provincial Student Wellness Fact Sheets)

28. Stats and Facts 4% of youth have tried chewing tobacco (Provincial Student Wellness Fact Sheets)

29. Stats and Facts 3% of youth have used other tobacco products (e.g., bidis, nasal snuff, oral snuff, etc.) (Provincial Student Wellness Fact Sheets)

30. Stats and Facts Cigarillos are a youth phenomenon. Young people have 3 times the rate of cigarillo use as adults. (Physicians for Smoke Free Canada Fact Sheet, February 2008)

31. Stats and Facts Tobacco and Marijuana Use 69% of students who reported trying cigarettes also claimed to have tried marijuana, whereas 9%of other students reported trying marijuana. (Provincial Student Wellness Fact Sheets)

32. Stats and Facts Tobacco and Marijuana Use 88% of those who reported smoking in the last 30 days also claimed to have tried marijuana, whereas only 21% of other students reported trying marijuana. (Provincial Student Wellness Fact Sheets)

33. Stats and Facts Tobacco and Alcohol Use 94% of students who reported trying cigarettes (even just a few puffs) also indicated that they had tried alcohol, whereas 47% of other students reported trying alcohol. � (Provincial Student Wellness Fact Sheets)

34. Stats and Facts Tobacco and Alcohol Use 97% of those who reported smoking in the last 30 days also indicated that they had tried alcohol, whereas 59% of other students reported trying alcohol. (Provincial Student Wellness Fact Sheets)

35. Stats and Facts Smokers� Helpline Total calls to Helpline = 5188 (Nov 2002 to Sept 2008) � Average # of calls per month = 87 (Apr 2008 to Sept 2009) � 39.5% of referrals to Helpline are from physicians More females than males call the Helpline �

36. Stats and Facts Satisfaction with the Smokers� Helpline Overall Satisfaction 82% Satisfaction compared to other services 85% Would call again 82% Would refer a friend 90% Needs were met 70% CBRPE Report � April-December 2006)

37. Stats and Facts Smokers� Helpline 11.8% of respondents from N.B. received help from health professionals compared to an average of 5.3% across all 7 quitlines evaluated (BC, SK, MB, NB, NS, PEI, NL). CBRPE Report � April-December 2006)

38. Stats and Facts Smokers� Helpline Quitlines in general are assisting smokers with higher levels of addiction than the general smoking population in Canada. These smokers are more likely to have difficulty quitting and may benefit from using NRT or other pharmacotherapy in conjunction with telephone counselling. (CBRPE Report � April-December 2006)

39. Stats and Facts New Brunswickers want to quit! Smokers� Helpline services must be promoted within all jurisdictions including public health, community health, addictions, mental health, hospitals, physician offices, dental offices, etc.