Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States. Nearly 40 million U.S. adults still smoke cigarettes, and an estimated 2.55 million middle and high school students use at least one tobacco product, including e-cigarettes. Every day, about 1,600 U.S. youth younger than 18 years smoke their first cigarette. Each year, nearly half a million Americans die prematurely of smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke. Another 16 million live with a serious illness caused by smoking. Each year, the United States spends more than $225 billion on medical care to treat smoking-related disease in adults.
For Business Owners
The following signs are available for printing to erect at your establishment. The signs are based on the Virgin Islands Smoke Free Act:
§ 1487. Responsibilities of proprietors
The proprietor shall take the following measures to prevent smoking in public places or places of employment. The proprietor shall:
(1) Post signs in accordance with section 1486;
(2) Remove matches, cigarette lighters and ashtrays from areas where smoking is prohibited;
(3) Request of any person observed or believed to be smoking in an area where smoking is prohibited to refrain from smoking immediately and, if that person does not refrain from smoking after being asked to do so, the proprietor shall:
(A) Ask the person to leave the premises or establishment;
(B) Discontinue services to the person; and
(C) If the person refuses to leave, manage the situation consistent with the exercise of lawful methods for preserving the peace or preventing the commission of an offense pursuant to 14 V.I.C., $293.
Quit
quitSTART App
The quitSTART app is a free smartphone app that helps you quit smoking with tailored tips, inspiration, and challenges.
The quitSTART app helps you:
Get ready to quit with tips and information to prepare you for becoming smokefree
Monitor your progress and earn badges for smokefree milestones and other achievements
Get back on track if you slip and smoke
Manage cravings and bad moods in healthy ways
Distract yourself from cravings with games and challenges
Store helpful tips, inspirations, and challenges in your Quit Kit
Share your progress and favorite tips through social media
The quitSTART app is a product of Smokefree.gov, a smoking cessation resource created by the Tobacco Control Research Branch at the National Cancer Institute in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and input from tobacco control professionals, smoking cessation experts, and ex-smokers.
Questions?
Technical support is available to help you download and use quitSTART. If you need help or have any questions, please contact smokefreeteam@icfi.com.
Content provided and maintained by Smokefree.gov and the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.
Risks from Smoking
Smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body.
Mouth and throat (oral cavity and pharynx)
Esophagus, voice box (larynx)
Lung, bronchus, and trachea
Acute myeloid leukemia
Liver
Kidney and renal pelvis
Stomach
Uterine cervix
Pancreas
Urinary bladder
Colon and rectum
Resources
Find links to data, infographics, reports and other resources.
How Much Will You Save?
Smoking cigarettes is expensive. Use our calculator to find out how much of your money is going up in smoke.
Talk with Your Teen About E-cigarettes: A Tip Sheet for Parents
