Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in Georgia. From 2008 to 2013, an estimated annual average of 10,350 deaths, (-or 17%) of all annual deaths (61,889) among Georgians 35 years and older were attributed to cigarette smoking. Of these estimated deaths, 4,492 (44%) were due to cancer, 3,077 (30%) were due to respiratory diseases and 2,713 (26%) were due to cardiovascular diseases (Figure 1). The most common causes of death attributed to smoking in Georgia were lung cancer (3,503 deaths), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (2,569 deaths), ischemic heart disease (1,293 deaths), and other heart disease (818 deaths).

Read the full 2015 Georgia Tobacco Use Surveillance Report

Source: The Toll of Tobacco on Georgia (Tobaccofreekids.org)