CIGARETTE SMOKING
The 1982 United States Surgeon General's report stated that "Cigarette smoking is the major single cause of cancer mortalityin the United States." This statement is as true today as it was then.
The 1982 United States Surgeon General's report stated that "Cigarette smoking is the major single cause of cancer mortalityin the United States." This statement is as true today as it was then.
Tobacco use is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States. Because cigarette smoking and tobacco use are acquired behaviors -- activities that people choose to do -- smoking is the most preventable cause of death in our society.
Cancer caused by smoking
Cigarette smoking accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths. It is linked with an increased risk of the following cancers:
- Lung
- Larynx (voice box)
- Oral cavity (mouth, tongue, and lips)
- Pharynx (throat)
- Esophagus (tube connecting the throat to the stomach)
- Stomach
- Pancreas
- Cervix
- Kidney
- Bladder
Smoking is responsible for almost 9 out of 10 lung cancer deaths. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women, and is one of the hardest cancers to treat. Lung cancer is a disease that can often be prevented.
Smoking is a also major cause of heart disease, aneurysms, bronchitis, emphysema, and stroke.
Using tobacco can damage a woman's reproductive health and hurt babies. Tobacco use is linked with reduced fertility and a higher risk of miscarriage, early delivery (premature birth), and stillbirth. It is also a cause of low birth-weight in infants. It has been linked to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), too.
The smoke from cigarettes (called secondhand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke) can also have harmful health effects on those exposed to it.
CIGARS
Many people view cigar smoking as more sophisticated and less dangerous than cigarette smoking. Yet one large cigar can contain as much tobacco as an entire pack of cigarettes. And the secondhand smoke it gives off, which others breathe in, can fill a room for hours.
Large cigars may contain more than a half an ounce of tobacco. This is as much tobacco as a whole pack of cigarettes. It can take from 1 to 2 hours to smoke a large cigar.
SMOKELESS TOBACCO
There are a lot of terms to describe smokeless tobacco products, such as oral, chewing, snuff, spit, and spitless tobacco. All forms of oral tobacco have chemicals known to cause cancer (carcinogens). These products can cause cancer of the mouth, pancreas, and esophagus (the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach). Oral and smokeless tobacco also cause many other health problems, such as gum disease, destruction of the bone sockets around the teeth, and tooth loss. They cause bad breath and stained teeth, too.
SECOND HAND SMOKE
Secondhand smoke is also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or passive smoke. It is a mixture of 2 forms of smoke that come from burning tobacco: sidestream smoke (smoke that comes from the end of a lighted cigarette, pipe, or cigar) and mainstream smoke (smoke that is exhaled by a smoker).
Secondhand smoke is classified as a known human carcinogen. Other breathing problems in non-smokers, including coughing, mucus, chest discomfort, and reduced lung function.It increases in the number and severity of asthma attacks in children who have asthma.
