Montana Facts and Figures

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• Nearly 95% of people who smoke cigarettes started before they turned 21. (DPHHS)

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• Four out of five adult smokers become regular, daily smokers before they turn 21. (DPHHS)

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• A 2015 study out of the Institute of Medicine used mathematical modeling and found that Tobacco 21 has the potential to reduce initiation by 25%, leading to a 12% reduction in smoking. (DPHHS)

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• Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, killing more than 480,000 people each year. (DPHHS)

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• 95% of adults who smoke had their first cigarette before the age of 21, and most before the age of 18. (DPHHS)

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• The tobacco industry has a long history of targeting youth to recruit replacement tobacco users. (DPHHS)

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•  Although Montana is seeing record low prevalence of cigarette smoking among high school students, one third are still currently using tobacco products, with e-cigarettes being the most popular. (DPHHS)

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• Nicotine exposure during adolescence is harmful to brain development. (DPHHS)