The Surgeon General's 1990 Report on The Health Benefits of Smoking Cessation - Executive Summary

Sep 21, 2026

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Executive Summary from the 1990 Surgeon General’s report on smoking cessation in the MMWR series. The document explains that quitting smoking sharply reduces the risk of smoking-related diseases for men and women across all ages, including lower risks of lung cancer, other cancers, heart attack, stroke, and chronic lung conditions such as emphysema. It emphasizes that benefits greatly outweigh concerns about average weight gain and possible psychological effects, and frames cessation as a highly cost-effective public health intervention.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages32

Reading Time1 h 21 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Suggested Citation

Letter of Transmittal

Key Findings

Enclosure and MMWR Contents

The Surgeon General's1990 Report on ## The Health BenefitsofSmoking Cessation Executive Summary The MMWR series of publications is published by the Epidemiology Program Office,Centers for Disease Control,Public Health Service,U.S.Department of Health andHuman Services,Atlanta,Georgia 30333. | SUGGESTED CITATION
Centers for Disease Control.The Surgeon General's 1990 Report on The Health
Benefits of Smoking Cessation(Executive Summary).MMWR 1990;39(No.RR-
12):[inclusive page numbers]. | | --- | Centers for Disease Control…………… …… …William L.Roper,M.D.,M.P.H.Director This report was developed in: Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion……… …Jeffrey P.Koplan,M.D.,M.P.H.Director Office on Smoking and Healt… …………………Ronald M.Davis,M.D.Director The production of this report was coordinated in: Epidemiology Program Office……………………Stephen B.Thacker,M.D.,M.Sc.Director Richard A.Goodman,M.D.,M.P.H.Editor MMWR Series Editorial Services……………… …… ……………….Elliott Churchill,M.A. Chief and Production Editor Amanda Tarkington,M.C. Writer-Editor Ruth C.Greenberg Editorial Assistant Vol.39 /No.RR-12 MMWR · NOTICE This issue of MMWR Recommendations and Reports(Vol.39,No.RR-12)is areprint of the Executive Summary of the Surgeon General's report entitled The HealthBenefits of Smoking Cessation,released September 1990.The report is included inthe MMWR series of publications so that the material may be readily accessible to thepublic health community. October 5,1990 THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICESWA5HINGTON,D.C.20201 SEP 131990 The Honorable Thomas S.FoleySpeaker of the House of Representatives Washington,D.C.20515 Dear Mr.Speaker: It is my pleasure to transmit to the Congress the 1990 Surgeon General'sReport on the health consequences of smoking as mandated by Section 8(a)ofthe Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act of 1969(Pub.L.91-222).The reportwas prepared by the Centers for Disease Contro1's Office on Smoking and Health. This report,entitled The Health Benefits of Smoking Cessation,examines howan individual's risk of smoking-related diseases declines after quittingsmoking.The evidence is overwhelming that smoking cessation has major andimmediate health benefits for men and women of all ages.Smoking cessationincreases overall life expectancy and reduces the risk of lung cancer,othercancers,heart attack,stroke,and chronic lung disease such as emphysema.The health benefits of smoking cessation far exceed any risks from the average5-pound weight gain or any adverse psychological effects that may followquitting. Cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of death in oursociety.It is responsible for approximately 390,000 deaths each year in theUnited States,or more than one of every six deaths.We must do all we can toprevent young people from taking up this deadly addiction,and we must helpsmokers quit.Given the enormous benefits of smoking cessation,and the factthat good smoking cessation programs can achieve abstinence rates of 20 to 40percent at one-year followup,these programs are likely to be extremelycost-effective compared with other preventive or curative services. Therefore,I would encourage health insurers to provide payment for smokingcessation treatments that are shown to be effective.At a minimum,thetreatment of nicotine addiction should be considered as favorably bythird-party payors as treatment of alcoholism and illicit drug addiction. This report should help convince all smokers of the compelling need to quitsmoking. Sincerely, couiMlulrdu Louis W.Sullivan,M.D.Secretary Enclosure Vol.39 /No.RR-12 THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICESwASHINGTON,DC.20201 SEP 131990 The Honorable Dan QuaylePresident of the SenateWashington,D.C.20515 Dear Mr.President: It is my pleasure to transmit to the Congress the 1990 Surgeon General'sReport on the health consequences of smoking as mand

FAQs

What does the report say about health benefits after quitting smoking?

It states that an individual’s risk of smoking-related diseases declines after cessation. The evidence is described as overwhelming, with immediate benefits across all ages and for both men and women.

Which diseases does the summary highlight as reduced after smoking cessation?

It highlights reduced risk of lung cancer, other cancers, heart attack, stroke, and chronic lung disease such as emphysema.

How does the summary address risks or downsides of quitting smoking?

It notes that health benefits far exceed risks from the average five-pound weight gain and any adverse psychological effects that may follow quitting.

Sep 21, 2026

Upload by Liam