Trends in death rates from tobacco-related cardiovascular diseases in selected US states differing in tobacco-control efforts

Abstract

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.