ABSTRACT
Smoking is a proven risk factor for the three leading causes of death in the United States: heart disease, cancer, and stroke. It is responsible for approximately 440,000 premature deaths in the United States each year and represents the single most preventable cause of death in our society (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2002a). Nevertheless, it is estimated that 45.8 million Americans continue to smoke (CDC, 2004). Additionally negative effects of environmental smoke among non-smokers have been firmly established, with mortality rates estimated at up to 38,000 annually as a result of involuntary smoking (CDC, 2002a). In addition to premature mortality, smoking was responsible in the period from 1995 to 1999 for approximately $157 billion in annual health-related economic losses (CDC, 2002a).
