For most of history, people died from airborne, waterborne and infectious disease; largely illnesses we didn't understand or couldn't individually control. Thanks to sanitation standards, medicines such as antibiotics, and a better understanding of health, diseases such as plague and leprosy are pretty much things of the past, while others, such as polio, cholera and typhoid, are much rarer.

Just as importantly, vaccines have beaten most major communicable diseases (though some people are complacent or unmindful of vaccines) and we no longer suffer as we once did from smallpox, polio, measles, chicken pox and a host of other maladies.

If you look at why people die now, you'll see it's from illnesses that develop over many years, or what is known as "chronic disease". Pushed by industry, we use tobacco and eat too much, creating bad habits that kill us in the end. And, shockingly, we are doing this to ourselves, as most chronic disease results from our own bad habits.

Look at the top three causes of death: heart disease, cancer and respiratory disease. All could be prevented or much reduced if we, as individuals and as a community, do just two things:

1. Don't Use Tobacco
2. Maintain A Healthy Weight

Look at the top 10 causes of death and you'll see pretty much the same thing. Louisiana is ranked the most unhealthy state in the country, so if we can reduce tobacco use and obesity, through individual efforts and larger policies, we'll save lives, dollars and create a more productive workforce. Join us now to help Louisiana save itself!


See how tobacco and obesity affect Louisiana, both physically and financially here.

LHCC leadership assists communities with local data, provides community-level strategic planning and helps identify the most effective methods to make healthy changes.

With a focus on tobacco, obesity and healthy living, there is an LHCC in all of the state's nine health regions:

1. Greater New Orleans
2. Capital/Baton Rouge
3. Bayou/Houma & Thibodaux
4. Acadiana/Lafayette
5. Southwest/Lake Charles
6. Central/ Alexandria
7. Northwest/Shreveport
8. Northeast/Monroe
9. Florida Parishes/North Shore

Our ongoing work and successes include policy-level changes such as smoke-free ordinances, as well as infrastructure improvements, community gardens and more. To learn more about what we are doing now in specific areas, please visit our regional pages.

The Louisiana Cancer Prevention & Control Programs, the Louisiana Public Health Institute and Well-Ahead (an initiative of the Louisiana Department of Health) provide state leadership and resources to the Louisiana Healthy Communities Coalition (LHCC).