Trends in death rates from tobacco-related cardiovascular diseases in selected US states differing in tobacco-control efforts.
BACKGROUND
Tobacco-control efforts (starting with California in 1989) have been associated with smoking cessation among young adults in certain US states. The impact on trends in tobacco-related cardiovascular diseases is less clear.


METHODS
Annual percent change in age-standardized mortality rates for tobacco-related cardiovascular diseases were compared for 1990-2004 in states or groups of states that differed in tobacco-control efforts.


RESULTS
Cardiovascular disease mortality rates for age 20-44 years have fallen more rapidly in California and in New Jersey-New York (which had cigarette taxes similar to California but a less comprehensive tobacco control program in the 1990s) than in 6 Southern "tobacco-growing" states (which had low cigarette taxes and limited tobacco-control efforts in the 1990s).


CONCLUSIONS
The geographic differences in the decline in cardiovascular mortality rates may be related to stronger tobacco-control efforts. These results suggest that expansion of tobacco-control efforts in the US may help reduce cardiovascular disease deaths.
Connecticut Department of Public Health, Hartford, CT 06134-0308, USA. anthony.polednak@ct.gov
Anthony P
AP
Polednak
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult