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Facts About the Effects of What Tobacco Can Do to You

In 2009, approximately 20.6 percent of adults in the United States smoked cigarettes according to the National Cancer Institute. Such statistics might seem surprising when you consider the fact that smoking is harmful to nearly every organ in the body and increases the risk of developing a multitude of illnesses. Not only is cigarette smoke harmful to the user, it can also affect non-smokers exposed to the secondhand smoke.

  1. Cardiovascular Disease

    • The risk of heart and lung conditions increases dramatically for smokers. Both smoking men and women are two to four times more likely to suffer coronary heart disease or a stroke than non-smokers Male smokers are 23 times more likely to contract lung cancer than non-smoking males while the risk for female smokers is 13 times more than non-smoking females. Smoking also damages the airways and alveoli of the lungs, which increases the risk of developing chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Smoking also causes heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, exposure to secondhand smoke causes 50,000 to 300,000 lung infections in children under the age of 18 months and increases the occurrence of asthma in children.

    Cancer

    • Smoking increases the potential for developing more than 10 types of cancer. In addition to lung and esophageal cancer, smoking can also lead to cancer of the bladder, cervix, kidneys, larynx, mouth, throat, stomach and uterus. Those who use smokeless tobacco such as chewing tobacco or snuff are also at greater risk for cancer. Smokeless tobacco contains 28 cancer-causing agents and users of smokeless tobacco are at increased risk of developing oral cancer.

    Reproductive Problems

    • Pregnant and nursing mothers are often reminded of the dangers of smoking. Smoking can lead to preterm delivery, stillbirth and can cause the infant to suffer from low birth weight and increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. However, the effects of smoking are not limited to pregnant women who smoke; pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke can also deliver a baby of low birth weight. Smoking can also affect women who are not pregnant. Smoking increases the risk of infertility and can cause uterine cancer. Smoking can also lead to lower bone density in postmenopausal women and can increase the risk of hip fractures.

    Death

    • According to the Center for Disease Control, tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Nearly one in every five deaths each year in the United States is smoke-related Smoking results in more deaths per year than HIV, illegal drug use, alcohol use, car accidents, suicides and murders combined. It causes approximately 90% of lung cancer deaths in men and 80% in women and approximately 90% of deaths from chronic obstructive lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis or emphysema. (Smokeless tobacco can also prove deadly. The nicotine in smokeless tobacco might increase the risk of death from an irregular heartbeat.

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