Does Smoking Really Kill More People Than Any Disease?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in 2007, more than 43 million adults in the United States smoked cigarettes and more than 33 million smoked daily. When you buy a pack of cigarettes, you will notice a warning from the surgeon general that smoking is dangerous to your health. The use of tobacco causes almost 20 percent of the deaths in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.

Illness and Death Caused by Smoking

• The American Cancer Society states that nearly 50 percent of Americans who continue to smoke will pass away because of the habit. Annually, more than 440,000 Americans die annually because of illnesses connected to tobacco use. Smoking causes more deaths in America than alcohol, suicide, AIDS, murders, and illegal drug use combined.

  Smoking is responsible for more than 30 percent of all cancer fatalities. Ninety percent of all deaths from lung cancer are related to smoking. Smoking is also connected to an increase risk in other cancers, including lung, stomach, bladder, and kidney cancer.
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  Smoking is a major reason for other serious health problems, such as heart disease, bronchitis, emphysema, and stroke. In addition, smoking can impact others as tobacco is related to a higher chance for miscarriage, stillbirth, and sudden infant death syndrome.