While there is no evidence that tobacco killed him, Dr. Bikhazi said it probably played a part.

As the nation's leading cause of preventable death, tobacco kills over 45,000 African Americans each year.

"I see an industry-generated movement to prevent the passage of any law that will call attention to the fact that tobacco kills."

The industry's critics say that tobacco kills and injures hundreds of thousands of smokers every year.

Americans, she said, should "issue a warning to our young people that tobacco is addicting and that tobacco kills."

He said 90 percent of smokers took up the habit before age 20, while tobacco kills 65,000 people in France each year, and alcohol another 45,000.

And make no mistake about it, tobacco kills: The average cigarette smoker lives eight fewer years than the average nonsmoker.

Every year, tobacco kills more people.

The fact is that tobacco kills.

We must be perfectly clear that tobacco kills 548 000 Europeans every year, more than road accidents, alcohol, murders, drugs and suicides put together.