If a reported 2.85 million adults died in the U.S. in 2024, how many could have potentially been smoking-related?

• A. 570,000
• B. 465,000
• C. 2,280,000
• D. 500,000

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the problem: The question asks how many deaths could have been smoking-related out of the total reported deaths (2.85 million). This requires identifying the proportion of deaths attributed to smoking, which is typically a known percentage based on public health data.
2. Identify the percentage of deaths attributed to smoking: Research or recall the approximate percentage of deaths in the U.S. that are smoking-related. For example, if public health data states that 20% of deaths are smoking-related, this percentage will be used in the calculation.
3. Set up the equation: Multiply the total number of deaths (2.85 million) by the percentage of smoking-related deaths (expressed as a decimal). For example, if the percentage is 20%, the equation would be: \( 2.85 \times 0.20 \).
4. Perform the multiplication: Calculate the product of the total deaths and the smoking-related percentage to determine the number of smoking-related deaths. Ensure the units (millions) are consistent throughout the calculation.
5. Compare the result to the provided answer choices: Once the calculation is complete, match the result to the closest value among the given options (570,000; 465,000; 2,280,000; 500,000) to identify the correct answer.