Smoking Statistics Tell All:

How and Why Smoking Cessation Should Start Today

Cigarettes are perhaps the only legal product whose intended use, smoking, is proven to be harmful to the human body. Each year, nearly 400,000 Americans die from the effects of smoking. Cigarette smokers have more than twice the risk of heart attack, and two to four times the chance of cardiac arrest.

Anyone who starts smoking, no matter what their age, gender, body type or genetic make-up, is at risk of becoming addicted to nicotine and the dangers of smoking.

The Dangers of Smoking

Smoking is the leading cause of many types of cancer, including 90% of lung cancers, as well as the leading cause of several lung diseases that can be just as dangerous as lung cancer, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Cigarette smoking also increases the risk of heart disease, which is the number one cause of death in the United States.

Pregnant women who smoke, risk not only their health, but also the health and lives of their unborn babies. Smoking during pregnancy is linked with a greater chance of spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, infant deaths, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Up to 10% of infant deaths would be prevented if pregnant women did not smoke.

Smoking also causes many short-term effects, such as decreased lung function, which leads to shortness of breath and persistent coughs, as well as the inability to maintain physical activity for long periods of time. Other common short-term effects of smoking include a diminished ability to smell and taste, premature aging of the skin, and an increased risk of sexual impotence in men.

Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death in our society. In the United States, tobacco causes nearly 1 in 5 deaths. It is difficult to stop smoking, but you can do it.

More than 44 million Americans have quit smoking for good, and there are now nearly as many former smokers as current smokers. There are several organizations and community health programs that offer materials and information, counseling and other services on how to quit smoking. You can also ask your doctor, dentist, or local hospital for additional references and resources.