DISEASES CAUSED BY SMOCKING

Smoking and Death

Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.¹

• Cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States. This is nearly one in five deaths.^1,2,3
• Smoking causes more deaths each year than the following causes combined:⁴
  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
  • Illegal drug use
  • Alcohol use
  • Motor vehicle injuries
  • Firearm-related incidents

• More than 10 times as many U.S. citizens have died prematurely from cigarette smoking than have died in all the wars fought by the United States during its history.¹
• Smoking causes about 90% (or 9 out of 10) of all lung cancer deaths in men and women.^1,2 More women die from lung cancer each year than from breast cancer.⁵
• About 80% (or 8 out of 10) of all deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are caused by smoking.¹
• Cigarette smoking increases risk for death from all causes in men and women.¹
• The risk of dying from cigarette smoking has increased over the last 50 years in men and women in the United States.¹

Smoking and Increased Health Risks

Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer.¹

• Smoking is estimated to increase the risk—
  • For coronary heart disease by 2 to 4 times^1,6
  • For stroke by 2 to 4 times¹
  • Of men developing lung cancer by 25 times¹
  • Of women developing lung cancer by 25.7 times¹
• Smoking causes diminished overall health, increased absenteeism from work, and increased health care utilization and cost.¹

Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease

Smokers are at greater risk for diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease).^1,2

• Smoking causes stroke and coronary heart disease, which are among the leading causes of death in the United States.^1,3
• Even people who smoke fewer than five cigarettes a day can have early signs of cardiovascular disease.¹
• Smoking damages blood vessels and can make them thicken and grow narrower. This makes your heart beat faster and your blood pressure go up. Clots can also form.^1,2
• A stroke occurs when a clot blocks the blood flow to part of your brain or when a blood vessel in or around your brain bursts.^1,2
• Blockages caused by smoking can also reduce blood flow to your legs and skin.^1,2

Smoking and Respiratory Disease

Smoking can cause lung disease by damaging your airways and the small air sacs (alveoli) found in your lungs.^1,2

• Lung diseases caused by smoking include COPD, which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.^1,2
• Cigarette smoking causes most cases of lung cancer.^1,2
• If you have asthma, tobacco smoke can trigger an attack or make an attack worse.^1,2
• Smokers are 12 to 13 times more likely to die from COPD than nonsmokers.¹

Risks From Smoking
Smoking Can Damage Every Part of the Body
Larger infographic

Smoking and Cancer

Smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body:^1,2 (See figure above)

• Bladder
• Blood (acute myeloid leukemia)
• Cervix
• Colon and rectum (colorectal)
• Esophagus
• Kidney and ureter
• Larynx
• Liver
• Oropharynx (includes parts of the throat, tongue, soft palate, and the tonsils)
• Pancreas
• Stomach
• Trachea, bronchus, and lung

Smoking also increases the risk of dying from cancer and other diseases in cancer patients and survivors.¹
If nobody smoked, one of every three cancer deaths in the United States would not happen.^1,2

Smoking and Other Health Risks

Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and affects a person’s overall health.^1,2

• Smoking can make it harder for a woman to become pregnant and can affect her baby's health before and after birth. Smoking increases risks for:^1,2,5
  • Preterm (early) delivery
  • Stillbirth (death of the baby before birth)
  • Low birth weight
  • Sudden infant death syndrome (known as SIDS or crib death)
  • Ectopic pregnancy
  • Orofacial clefts in infants

• Smoking can also affect men's sperm, which can reduce fertility and also increase risks for birth defects and miscarriage.²
• Smoking can affect bone health.^1,5
  • Women past childbearing years who smoke have weaker bones than women who never smoked, and are at greater risk for broken bones.
• Smoking affects the health of your teeth and gums and can cause tooth loss.¹
• Smoking can increase your risk for cataracts (clouding of the eye’s lens that makes it hard for you to see) and age-related macular degeneration (damage to a small spot near the center of the retina, the part of the eye needed for central vision).¹
• Smoking is a cause of type 2 diabetes mellitus and can make it harder to control. The risk of developing diabetes is 30–40% higher for active smokers than nonsmokers.^1,2
• Smoking causes general adverse effects on the body, including inflammation and decreased immune function.¹
• Smoking is a cause of rheumatoid arthritis.¹

Quitting and Reduced Risks

• Quitting smoking cuts cardiovascular risks. Just 1 year after quitting smoking, your risk for a heart attack drops sharply.²
• Within 2 to 5 years after quitting smoking, your risk for stroke could fall to about the same as a nonsmoker’s.²
• If you quit smoking, your risks for cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder drop by half within 5 years.²
• Ten years after you quit smoking, your risk for lung cancer drops by half.²