Death Toll in Chicago

DEATH TOLL IN CHICAGO:

From Heat = 376 -- Government Criticized, "Disaster" Designation Sought;

From Smoking = 391 -- FDA's Proposed Regulation Criticized

With a death toll from heat-related deaths already at 376, there is growing criticism of the government for not doing more, and the mayor is asking President Clinton to designate Chicago as a "federal disaster area."

But during the same month 391 Chicagoans died from smoking, yet no one seems to notice or care, and some are urging President Clinton not to allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to do anything to help.

The irony is that we pay so much attention to rare and infrequent events which cost many lives, and yet ignore even those which are more deadly and occur day after day, month after month, year after year -- especially when so much could be done at virtually no cost to prevent them.

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) notes that, according to official estimates, smoking kills 319,000 American smokers each year; Chicago's share is 391 every month, and almost 4700 over the course of each year.

"If a jumbo jet crashed into Chicago and killed 391 people, every possible effort would be made to prevent a similar disaster in the future."

"But when 391 people die needlessly from smoking each and every month in Chicago alone -- more than 34,000 across the entire U.S. -- there is no outcry, and even the most fundamental measures aimed at reducing this enormous toll are deemed controversial," says John Banzhaf, ASH's Executive Director.

He says that every day an estimated 3000 young children become addicted to nicotine by being lured into trying cigarettes, and that about 1000 of those will die as a result of their smoking.

"If we could cut that number by 50% by banning cigarettes through vending machines, tougher health warnings like those already in effect in Canada, and licensing those who sell cigarettes the same way we now license those who sell alcoholic beverages, we could save 500 lives -- the total expected from the entire Chicago heat disaster -- each and every day of the year!"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, July 19, 1995

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL: John Banzhaf (202) 659-4310

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