Click here to view the 2011 WV Division of Tobacco Prevention Annual Progress Report.
The leading cause of death and disease in West Virginia continues to be tobacco use with high prevalence for both smoking and spit tobacco. Almost 4,000 West Virginia residents die each year from tobacco use and, if current trends continue, over 40,000 more residents will die by the year 2020 because of their addiction to tobacco.
The economic costs of tobacco use are incredibly high in West Virginia. These costs are estimated to be $2 billion annually, half from direct healthcare costs and the other half associated with occupational and work productivity costs. Every smoker who dies loses an average of 14 years of life due to premature death.
The mission of the West Virginia Division of Tobacco Prevention (DTP) is to reduce disease, disability and death related to tobacco. Goals for the division include:
• Prevent the initiation of tobacco use among youth
• Eliminate exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke
• Promote cessation of tobacco use among adults and young people
• Identify and eliminate disparities among population groups related to tobacco use
• Build, maintain, and enhance the State’s capacity to address the burden of all chronic diseases.
The DTP funds prevention activities through its three programs: Youth Prevention, Clean Indoor Air and Cessation. These programs continue to employ strategies guided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Best Practices.