According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. 24% of Licking County adults are current smokers.  Less than half of adults in Licking County (47.2 percent) have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their life (which is the CDC’s definition of “ever smoked”), and 51.8 percent of those residents still currently smoke. This finding is significant by age – respondents ages 18 to 34 are significantly more likely to report that they smoke and respondents age 65 plus are the least likely to report that they currently smoke.  Three-quarters of Licking County adults report that they do not currently smoke, which significantly lower than the percentage for the State of Ohio (76.7 percent) and United States (80.3 percent).

Tobacco Prevention and Cessation programs at LCHD work to reduce the initiation of tobacco and nicotine product use in youth and to provide cessation support to those who are trying to quit.

Tobacco Use Reduction Network (TURN)

LCHD Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program

Licking Memorial Hospital Cessation Program