The Campaign has more than 130 organizational partners, including public health, medical, education, civic, corporate, youth and religious organizations.

On July 14, 2006, the American Cancer Society presented the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids with the Luther L. Terry Award for Exemplary Leadership in Tobacco Control. These awards are presented every three years at the World Conference on Tobacco or Health.

The Tobacco Problem

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Every year, smoking and secondhand smoke kill about 440,000 people in the U.S. by causing lung cancer, emphysema, heart disease and other illnesses. 19.8 percent of adults still smoke, as do 20 percent of high school students. Every day, more than 1,000 kids become daily smokers. One-third of them will die prematurely as a result.

Worldwide, tobacco use claims nearly five million lives a year and is projected to kill one billion people this century unless current trends are reversed. However, if adult smoking rates are cut by 50 percent worldwide, we could prevent more than 300 million deaths within the next 50 years, according to the American Cancer Society.

Tobacco's terrible toll stems directly from the tobacco industry's expenditure of huge sums to market their deadly and addictive products, often in ways appealing to kids. In the United States alone, tobacco marketing exceeds $13.4 billion a year — almost $37 million a day. Tobacco marketing works — 81 percent of youth smokers in the U.S. prefer the three most heavily advertised brands.

Tobacco use and secondhand smoke take a huge toll in health, lives and money:

• Tobacco use kills more people in the U.S. each year than AIDS, alcohol, motor vehicle accidents, murders, illegal drugs and suicide combined.
• Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including at least 69 known carcinogens, and causes tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S. each year.
• Tobacco use costs the U.S. nearly $100 billion annually in health care bills, imposing a hidden tax on every individual, family and business.

How You Can Help

Become an E-Champion
The Campaign has a growing network of volunteers, called E-Champions, who take action over the Internet to contact elected officials and hold the tobacco industry accountable. As an E-Champion, you will receive a free monthly update, Action Alerts about new initiatives, and invitations to local events. To become an E-Champion, visit our Action Center.

Make a Financial Contribution
The New York Times Magazine called the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids "the country's leading anti-tobacco lobby." Worth Magazine has named the Campaign one of America's Top 100 Charities. Our continued success depends on support from individuals and organizations committed to building a tobacco-free future. To make a contribution, visit our Donation Page.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that accepts no government or tobacco industry funding and relies on contributions from individuals, philanthropic foundations, corporations and other non-profit organizations.