Originally published on AUG. 2, 2016 by Christopher Zoukis published in Prison Legal News August, 2016, page 40

“Tobacco use and secondhand smoke kill over 480,000 people in the United States annually. The mortality rate of smokers is three times higher than those who have never smoked, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and smoking reduces an average smoker’s life expectancy by 10 years compared to non-smokers. While the exact numbers aren’t known, numerous prisoners die every year due to smoking-related ailments such as cancer, stroke, heart disease and chronic lung disease.” …. read the full article here:   https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2016/aug/2/prison-tobacco-bans-reduce-smoking-related-deaths/