In the 13 states with distinctly elevated smoking rates, rates of heart disease, respiratory illness, and lung and other cancers are higher than in the rest of the nation, according to a new study from the Washington-based Truth Initiative.
In these 13 states – dubbed “Tobacco Nation” in the study – the average life expectancy is 76.3 years vs. 79.3 years in the other 37 states, the report states.
“On average, Tobacco Nation residents live shorter lives and face a higher risk of dying than other Americans,” the study says.
Nine of the U.S. states with the highest rates of heart disease are in Tobacco Nation, according to the Truth Initiative analysis. Deaths from heart disease in that region are 22 percent higher than in the rest of the United States.
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Mean Age-Adjusted Health Rates
| Illness Description | Tobacco Nation | Rest of U.S |
| Cancer Incidence | 451 | 425 |
| Cancer Mortality | 174 | 150 |
| Lung and Bronchus Cancer Incidence | 70 | 53 |
| Lung and Bronchus Cancer Mortality | 51 | 37 |
| Heart Disease Mortality | 200 | 155 |
| Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease Mortality | 52 | 38 |
| % of Adults With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease | 9.2% | 5.8% |
| * rates per 100,000 people | ||
Source: Truth Initiative