More than $1 million is spent each hour to market tobacco products in this country--and 99 percent of all new smokers are youth and young adults who are enticed by this marketing. According to a new Surgeon General’s report, Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults, far too many young people use tobacco.

In the U.S., more than 600,000 middle school students and 3 million high school students smoke cigarettes. In Alabama, surveys indicate that an estimated 18.6 percent of high school students smoke and 10,000 Alabama youth under 18 become new daily smokers each year.

More than 1,200 people die every day in the U.S. due to smoking. For every death, at least two new youths or young adults become regular smokers. About 90 percent of these replacement smokers smoke their first cigarette before age 18.

Smokeless or spit tobacco is also a concern. In Alabama, 19.1 percent of high school males use smokeless or spit tobacco.

Unique health care challenges face America’s 62 million rural citizens, including almost 2 million Alabamians. To highlight these important health care challenges and to showcase the importance of rural communities, the Alabama Department of Public Health’s Office of Primary Care and Rural Health joins other rural health advocates nationally and locally to celebrate the first National Rural Health Day on Thursday, Nov. 17.

Rural communities in Alabama face unique health care needs. Today more than ever before, Alabama must address accessibility issues, a lack of health care providers, the needs of an aging population suffering from a greater number of chronic conditions, and larger percentages of underinsured and uninsured citizens.

BRUNDIDGE, AL (WSFA) - The City of Brundidge and hundreds of happy citizens welcomed home a group of local heroes Friday afternoon.