Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Conversation
The Conversation
Marie Helweg-Larsen, Professor of Psychology, Dickinson College

Tobacco is still one of the world’s top killers – here are the key obstacles to enacting generational smoking bans

Cigarette display at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Miami, Fla., in July 2025. Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Smoking is really bad for you. Most people know that. Even smokers think smoking is bad for one’s health. But most people don’t know just how bad it is.

More people in the United States die every year from smoking than from alcohol, illegal drug use, car accidents, suicides and murders combined. Cigarette smoking costs an estimated US$240 billion annually in health care costs, which harm not only smokers but also nonsmokers, communities and the economy. Smoking is the top preventable cause of death and disease in the U.S. and worldwide.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.