Can somebody help me with the introduction for my essay on smoking?

[jfhjhuhju]

I want to start the essay with a fact.
I'm going to use either this one:
Each year 437,900 people die in the United States die, due to diseases caused by smoking.
Or this one:
Every 6.5 seconds a current or former smoker dies.
Which one do you think I should use?
And also, after I state the fact, what do I say to get started?

 

[Critical_rationalist]

Just over four thousand soldiers have died in 7 years of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many people find this number shocking and brutal, but what if 437,900 soldiers had died?