Cause                   Estimated deaths            %age total deaths
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Tobacco                 400,000                     19
Diet/activity patterns  300,000                     14
Alcohol                 100,000                      5
Microbial agents         90,000                      4
Toxic agents             60,000                      3
Firearms                 35,000                      2
Sexual behavior          30,000                      1
Motor vehicles           25,000                      1
Illicit use of drugs     20,000                     <1
----------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL                 1,060,000                     50

Source: 1995 May Scientific American.

(No explanation was given of how deaths due to illicit use of drugs were distinguished from deaths due to lack of safe and effective recreational drugs.:)

US was also listed as having by far lowest cigarette taxes of any compared country. Drug pushers spent $0.5G glamorizing nicotine in 1975, which rose to $3.274G by 1988.