Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the state of Missouri.

Missouri spends $3.8 billion annually for direct health care and Medicaid costs, and lost productivity due to smoking.  This equals $700 per year that every Missourian spends on smoking.

Missouri spends $1.7 billion for direct health care costs due to smoking and $2.2 billion on lost productivity annually.

Missouri's Medicaid expenditures due to smoking exceeds $415 million per year.

Each year 10,300 Missourians die an average of 13.8 years prematurely from smoking related diseases.

Missouri has the third highest adult smoking rate (27.2%) per capita in the nation.

Missouri’s smoking during pregnancy rate is 9th highest, and 45% higher than the U.S.

Almost one in three (30.1%) middle school students and one in four (25.7%) high school student smokers reported smoking their first whole cigarette before the age of 13.

In Missouri almost one in three high school students (30.3%) and one in six middle school students (14.9%) smoke.

139,484 Missouri youth are projected to die if the smoking rate remains constant.

The cost to employers for workers who smoke is considerable and includes work absences, health care claims, and decreased productivity.

In Missouri, the percentage of low-birth-weight babies (less than 2,500 gm) in 2002 was 12.3% among African American infants and 6.6% among white infants.