Tobacco’s Harm

Knowledge is an important tool in our work to eliminate tobacco's harm. That's why we ground our work in science, gathering information about how tobacco is used here in our state, and how it impacts the lives of real Minnesotans. By funding research on tobacco use and attitudes in Minnesota, on smoke-free policies and on diverse communities, we are helping to understand tobacco's impacts, and to reduce its harms.

Secondhand smoke poses significant health ricks. In the U.S. it causes at least 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 46,000 coronary heart disease deaths each year. The Freedom to Breathe Act has protected the vast majority of Minnesotans from secondhand smoke in public places since October 2007, but Minnesotans are still exposed to its dangers in many locations.