“The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today released a progress report to the tobacco strategic action plan that highlights the accomplishments and strategies of the Obama administration to help tobacco users quit and prevent children from starting to use tobacco products…Tobacco use is the leading cause of premature and preventable death in the United States. Every day in the U.S., more than 1,200 people die due to smoking and, for each of those deaths, at least two adolescents or young adults become regular smokers. Over the last three years, HHS has accelerated efforts to reduce tobacco use, taking a coordinated approach employing many tools available to help tobacco users stop and keep others from starting. Ending the Tobacco Epidemic: Progress Toward a Healthier Nation outlines the progress HHS has made in implementing the specific actions in the Tobacco Control Strategic Action Plan and ultimately in achieving the Healthy People 2020 objective of reducing the adult smoking rate to 12 percent.”