1999 Smoking Attributable Mortality Report

In 1999, fully 18.6% of all deaths to Florida residents were attributable to cigarette smoking. This remains unchanged from 1998, when we estimated 18.7% of all deaths were due to smoking. Using the Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity and Economic Costs (SAMMEC 3.0) software program developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a model, Florida’s smoking-attributable deaths were calculated based on the available smoking and mortality data. In 1999, there were 162,122 deaths to Florida residents from all causes including 79,669 (49.1%) among women and 82,446 (50.9%) among men. Smoking accounted for 30,181 (18.6%) of these deaths. Among males, smoking accounted for 18,685 deaths while among females, smoking accounted for 11,496. Thus, 61.9% of all smoking-attributable mortality occurs in men, while 38.1% of smoking-attributable deaths are among women. The tables in this report display smoking-attributable mortality estimates by region or county and by age, sex, race and cause of death. This information can be used to document the burden of mortality attributable to cigarette smoking across different populations and geographic areas, and to target tobacco control efforts. The first section of this report explains the methodology used to generate smoking-attributable mortality estimates. This is followed by a summary of the findings presented here and by tables and graphs describing the detailed findings.