Approximately 5.6 million American children alive today - or one out of every 13 children under age 18 - will die prematurely from smoking-related diseases unless current smoking rates drop, according to a new Surgeon General's report.

Original title: “Surgeon General report says 5.6 million U.S. children will die prematurely unless current smoking rates drop - Press Release”

Fifty years ago today was a tipping point in recognizing and reversing the deadly epidemic caused by smoking. The first Surgeon General's report on smoking and health, released on January 11, 1964, made clear that smoking causes cancer.

Original title: “50th Anniversary of the Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health - Media Statement”

Tobacco control efforts are having a major impact on Americans' health, a new analysis of lung-cancer data suggests. The rate of new lung cancer cases decreased among men and women in the United States from 2005 to 2009, according to a report in this week's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Original title: “Rates of new lung cancer cases drop in U.S. men and women -Press Release”

Press briefing transcript for Vital Signs: Alcohol Screening and Counseling.

Original title: “Vital Signs: Alcohol Screening and Counseling - Transcript”

Only one in six adults -- and only one in four binge drinkers -- say a health professional has ever discussed alcohol use with them even though drinking too much is harmful to health, according to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Original title: “Alcohol Screening and Counseling - Digital Press Kit”

Only one in six adults -- and only one in four binge drinkers -- say a health professional has ever discussed alcohol use with them even though drinking too much is harmful to health, according to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Original title: “Most health care providers don't talk about alcohol, even when patients drink too much - Press Release”

Continuing with the success of last year's national tobacco education ad campaign, "Tips from Former Smokers," a second series of ads was launched today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Original title: “Tips From Former Smokers Ad Campaign 2013”

At least 38 million adults in the United States drink too much and most are not alcoholics. What are the latest findings and what can be done to reduce this behavior? CDC will discuss why alcohol screening and brief counseling are a health service that works to curve down alcohol use.

Original title: “CDC Telebriefing: New Vital Signs Report - How much alcohol is too much? - Media Advisory”

CDC looks back on infographics with the most impact: Nightmare Bacteria spread and TIPS campaign results.

Original title: “CDC's Graphs of the Year: Nightmare bacteria spread and 100,000 smokers likely quit with Tips - Media Advisory”

As the year comes to a close, America's health protection agency, CDC, looks back at our nation's health by the numbers. With dramatic breakthroughs in science and technology, 2013 has been a successful year in public health.

Original title: “Our Nation's Health by the Numbers: 2013”

Additional issues addressed by CDC during 2013.

Original title: “2013 Year in Review - More”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is closely following new reports of the mosquito-borne chikungunya (chik-un-GUHN-ya) virus among residents of the French side of St. Martin in the Caribbean.

Original title: “First reports of Chikungunya in Western Hemisphere - Press Release”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have launched a new project aimed at improving health data collection for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.

Original title: “New project aimed at collecting health data for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations - Press Release”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's job is to detect health threats, stop outbreaks, and prevent illness and injury. As 2013 comes to a close America's health protection agency looks back at top five health concerns in 2013 and previews the five health threats that loom for 2014.

Original title: “CDC Looks Back at 2013 health challenges, Ahead to 2014 health worries - Press Release”

MMWR has exciting news about influenza and flu vaccinations and it is so important that people get vaccinated.

Original title: “Flu Press Conference: New Report Highlights Benefits of Flu Vaccine - Transcript”

CDC, CMS collaborate to advance public reporting of important hospital quality indicators

Original title: “Public gets early snapshot of MRSA and C. difficile infections in individual hospitals - Press Release”

Flu vaccination prevented an estimated 6.6 million influenza-associated illnesses, 3.2 million medically attended illnesses, and 79,000 hospitalizations during the 2012-2013 flu season, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

Original title: “New Report Highlights Benefits of Flu Vaccine - Press Release”

CDC to provide an update on flu and vaccination activity this season and share new data on the impact of vaccination last season.

Original title: “CDC to provide an update on flu and vaccination activity this season and share new data on the impact of vaccination last season - Media Advisory”

A telebriefing to discuss the renewed spike of measles in the U.S. and its continued threat to health security.

Original title: “Measles Press Conference: 50th Anniversary of Measles Vaccine - Transcript”

Fifty years after the approval of an extremely effective vaccine against measles, one of the world's most contagious diseases, the virus still poses a threat to domestic and global health security.

Original title: “Measles Still Threatens Health Security - Press Release”