Question

fill in the blank question
blank poses a larger threat to public health than illegal drugs as it is involved in one in every five deaths in the united states, according to the centers for disease control and prevention (cdc) reports.

Explanation:

The CDC reports that tobacco (specifically smoking - related issues from tobacco use) is involved in one in every five deaths in the US and is a larger public health threat than illegal drugs. So the word to fill in is "Tobacco" (or "Smoking" could also be relevant but tobacco use is the more precise term here based on CDC data about its impact on mortality rates).

Answer:

Tobacco