Health Dangers of Smoking Tobacco

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 out of every 5 people in the United States smoke tobacco. Since tobacco contains the addictive substance nicotine, smoking tobacco can be a tough habit to break. The benefits of quitting smoking, or never smoking at all, are staggering. Smoking tobacco can cause a variety of health problems, which can lead to serious complications and even death.

Expert Insight

• Smoking can negatively impact almost every organ in the body, according to the CDC. In fact, cigarette smoking and the health issues associated with it account for about 1 out of every 5 deaths in the United States. Among other things, smoking tobacco can cause cancer, heart disease, stroke and respiratory health issues.

Smoking Tobacco and Cancer

• Cigarette smoke contains 69 chemicals that cause cancer, according to the American Lung Association. Ninety percent of lung cancer deaths and more than 80 percent of deaths from emphysema and chronic bronchitis have been attributed to tobacco smoking. Those who smoke are at serious risk for getting some form of cancer. Smoking tobacco can cause cancer in the "bladder, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, cervix, kidney, esophagus, lung, pancreas and stomach."

Smoking and Diseases

• There are a variety of diseases caused by smoking, including coronary heart disease, stroke, cataracts, pneumonia, periodontitis and acute leukemia. Smoking also can slow the healing process of wounds on the body, cause infertility and has been linked to peptic ulcer disease. Smoking tobacco nearly doubles a person's risk for stroke and increases the risk of coronary heart disease by 2 to 4 times that of a non-smoker.

Smoking During Pregnancy

• When women smoke during pregnancy, it can have dire effects. Smoking during pregnancy can cause low-birth weight babies, premature births, narrowed airways and limited lung function, and even death. Almost 12 percent of babies born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy were less than 5 1/2 pounds. Smoking during pregnancy can also cause cerebral palsy, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, mental retardation and congenital heart defects.

Other Health Effects of Smoking

• When people smoke cigarettes, they increase their risk of dying from chronic obstructive lung disease, by 10 times that of a non-smoker. In addition, nearly 8.6 million people in the United States have suffered from at least one serious illness as a result of smoking.