Tobacco in Philadelphia

  • Philadelphia has the highest smoking prevalence among the 10 largest U.S. cities.4
  • Tobacco claims over 3,500 deaths yearly. It kills more Philadelphians than homicide, AIDS, car accidents, diabetes, and illegal drugs combined.5
  • Over 40,000 people suffer from illnesses like asthma, COPD, cancer, and heart disease.6
  • Tobacco is aggressively marketed in low-income communities.7
  • The medical cost alone to treat tobacco-related illness is $840 million.8
  • Philadelphia has almost twice as many tobacco retailers per capita as other major cities.9