Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. The health consequences of tobacco use include heart disease, multiple types of cancer, pulmonary disease, adverse reproductive effects, and the exacerbation of chronic health conditions. Nearly one-half million Americans still die prematurely from tobacco use each year, and economic costs attributable to smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke now approach $300 billion annually. Despite these known health and financial burdens, approximately one in four American adults currently use some form of...

The purpose of this workbook is to help public health program managers, administrators, and evaluators develop a joint understanding of what constitutes an evaluation plan, why it is important, and how to develop an effective evaluation plan in the context of the planning process. An evaluation plan is a written document that describes how you will monitor and evaluate your program, as well as how you intend to use evaluation results for program improvement and decision making. The evaluation plan clarifies how you will describe the "What," the "How," and the "Why It Matters" for your...

This manual is designed to be a comprehensive resource for state health departments and other agencies and organizations in developing and implementing tobacco counter-marketing campaigns. It is designed to help readers who have different levels of experience and are managing programs at different stages of development. This manual contains a wealth of information on a range of counter-marketing topics. Some of the topics and information may be new to you, while you may already have a good command of other topic areas. This resource is meant to help with activities you're working on...

If the United States were to meet the Healthy People 2010 goal of reducing smoking prevalence to 12% among adults and 16% among young people aged 14 through 17 years, more than 7 million premature deaths after 2010 could be prevented. Studies show that investing in state tobacco control programs and implementing effective tobacco control policies significantly reduces cigarette consumption and improves health outcomes. To continue funding state programs, however, legislators, policy makers, and other funders of state programs want to see evidence that the program is effective and that...

Tobacco use continues to be the leading cause of death and disease in the United States; more than 440,000 people in this country die of tobacco-related diseases each year. Fortunately, cessation of tobacco use can reduce the risk of tobacco-related disease, even among those who have used tobacco for decades. Cessation also saves money; tobacco use is estimated to cost the nation close to $157 billion annually in excess medical expenses and lost productivity. Cessation rates, however, have been low. One recent national survey indicates that about 41% of smokers try to quit smoking each year,...

Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death and disease in our society. Annually, in the United States, tobacco use causes more than 430,000 deaths. Direct medical costs related to smoking total at least $50 billion per year; lost productivity adds another $50 billion. Tobacco use is addictive: nearly 70% of smokers want to quit smoking, but only 2.5% are able to quit permanently each year. Most smokers start smoking as adolescents. One in three teenagers who are regular smokers will eventually die of smoking-related causes. Other tobacco products also have serious health...

CDC is pleased to release Recommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the United States: Implementation and Measurement Guide. This product is the result of an innovative and collaborative process that seeks to reverse the U.S. obesity epidemic by transforming communities into places where healthy lifestyle choices are easily incorporated into everyday life. Where we live, work, learn, worship, and play affects the choices we make, and in turn, our health. As such, the policies and environments that shape and define a community will also affect the health outcomes...

"Respiratory Disease in Agriculture: Mortality and Morbidity Statistics" presents summary tables and figures of occupational respiratory disease surveillance data focusing on various occupationally relevant respiratory diseases for the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing industries. The report has seven major sections that provide the following data: (1) highlights and data usage limitations; (2) demographic statistics for agricultural workers; (3) mortality statistics for agricultural workers, including by sex and race/ethnicity; (4) morbidity statistics for agricultural workers, including by...

Since the 1980s, violence has been recognized as a leading cause of occupational mortality and morbidity. On average, 1.7 million workers are injured each year, and more than 800 die as a result of workplace violence (WPV). These tragic deaths and injuries stress the need for a proactive and collaborative WPV prevention effort at the national level. As part of its WPV Research and Prevention Initiative during 2003, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) convened a series of stakeholder meetings that focused on various types of WPV and the industries and occupations...

Most young people work at some time during high school. Although working can be a positive experience, it also has risks. The Institute of Medicine's Committee on the Health and Safety Implications of Child Labor reports that 50 percent of youths between ages 15 and 17 work at some time during the course of a year and that 80 percent of students work at least some time during high school. Every year, at least 100,000 of these young people seek treatment in an emergency room for a work-related injury. Every year, at least 70 young people are killed on the job. Young people are injured in the...