Tobacco Program

Tobacco use remains the number one preventable cause of death and disease in the nation and in the City and County of Denver. Every year, more than 480,000 people in the United States die from tobacco-related diseases, including over 5,000 lives in the state of Colorado. Tobacco use starts in adolescence (90%) and contributes to many long-term and adverse health outcomes, such as heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 

Disparities in tobacco use exist across groups defined by race, ethnicity, education level and socioeconomic status. For example, although African Americans smoke at lower or similar rates compared with other racial and ethnic groups, they have higher death rates from tobacco-related causes. It is estimated that 45,000 African Americans die every year from tobacco-related diseases.