Tobacco's Health Effects

Cigarette smoking causes 1 in every 5 deaths each year. Tobacco harms every organ in the body and is the #1 cause of preventable death in the United States. On average, tobacco use takes away 10 years of life by raising the risk of these serious health conditions:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Heart disease
• Several types of cancer including cancer of the lung, throat, mouth, esophagus, pancreas, bladder, and cervix and leukemia
• Respiratory diseases
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Emphysema
• Chronic bronchitis

Tobacco smoke also affects and worsens many other diseases such as diabetes, vascular disease, and osteoporosis. It can contribute to these other problems:

• Gum and tooth disease
• Halitosis (bad breath)
• Reduced ability to taste food and drinks
• Wrinkles
• Yellow teeth

 

Tobacco’s Effects on Others

Tobacco doesn’t just affect the person who chooses to use it. Smoking can be dangerous to the people and pets around you. People who live in or around your cigarette smoke, even just occasionally, could suffer in these ways:

• They have an increased risk of lung cancer.
• Children near you are more likely to have sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), asthma, lung problems, and ear infections.
• Unborn babies are more likely to be born early and at a low birth weight. They are more likely to have birth defects including cleft palate and other health problems.
• Pets have increased risks of cancers when they breathe in secondhand smoke, or when they lick smoke particles that stick to their fur.

There are many reasons to quit tobacco and the Quitline can help you start your quit journey off right. We’ll help you identify how quitting tobacco can help your health and relationships.

What’s your why? Explore our interactive tools to find out why quitting is important to you.