Smoking Attributable Mortality (SAM)

Smoking attributable mortality is defined as the number of deaths in a population that are caused by smoking.

Tobacco use increases the risk of tobacco-related illness and death including  heart disease, chronic lung disease, stroke and cancers. In fact, tobacco use is responsible for about one-third of all cancers including:

• lung
• mouth and throat
• larynx
• bladder
• kidney
• pancreas

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness, disability and premature death in Canada. Across the country, smoking is responsible for more than 47,000 deaths annually, of which 16,000 are Ontarians, including 700 Simcoe Muskoka residents.