Smoking is an addiction that affects millions of people. It is very important to teach children the dangers of smoking, and for non-smoking adults to not start smoking. While it is difficult to quit smoking, doing so can add years to your life if you currently smoke. Understanding the facts about smoking can remind you why you should not start smoking, and can give you motivation if you are trying to quit.
Smoking Causes Death and Disease
According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 500,000 people die of smoking every year in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control states that worldwide, approximately 5 million people die from smoking each year. Some of the diseases caused by smoking that kill people include various types of cancers, lung ailments, heart attacks and strokes. Smoking causes cancers in the lungs, mouth, esophagus, larynx, kidney, bladder and pancreas. Aside from cancer in the lungs, smoking causes ailments such as emphysema, bronchitis and reactive airway disease.
There are Millions of Smokers in the United States
The Centers for Disease Control reports that 46 million people, over 20 percent of adults, smoke. A full 20 percent of high school students smoke, and each day, about 1,000 children under 18 years of age begin smoking. Approximately 1,800 adults begin smoking each day. Of these, about 70 percent want to quit smoking, and 40 percent attempt to quit smoking each year.
Cigarettes Contain Dangerous Poisons
The American Academy of Family Physicians states that cigarettes contain poisonous substances, including tar, carbon monoxide, arsenic and formaldehyde. Nicotine is the substance in tobacco that is addictive and that makes it hard for you to quit smoking. The American Lung Association adds benzene, vinyl chloride, ammonia and hydrogen cyanide to the list of chemicals in cigarettes.
Secondhand Smoke is Dangerous
Approximately 49,000 people die from breathing in secondhand smoke yearly, says the CDC. You inhale secondhand smoke when you are around people who are smoking, even if you do not smoke yourself. The American Lung Association states that secondhand smoke causes lung cancer, heart attacks, heart disease and premature death in children and adults.
Smoking is Expensive
Aside from the rising cost of cigarettes to consumers, smoking costs a lot of money. The CDC estimates that smoking costs $96 billion in health care expenditures, and about the same amount in lost productivity every year. In 2008, taxes on tobacco as well as tobacco-related legal settlements provided the states with a total of $24.4 billion. Only a tiny fraction, approximately three percent, was spent on preventing and controlling tobacco use. The cigarette industry spent $12.5 billion on advertising and promotions in 2006.
