Many elements in tobacco and cigarette smoke harm the human body, causing a wide variety of health problems. Cigarette smoking can cause disease in people who smoke, people who breathe the air around smokers and people who contact nicotine residue. Unborn babies whose bodies ingest tobacco toxins are also at risk. While the link between cigarettes and lung cancer has been common knowledge since the U.S. Surgeon General's 1964 report, new evidence from as recent as 2004 shows that smoking affects nearly every human organ.
Carcinogenic
According to the American Lung Association, the 69 carcinogens in cigarette smoke are known to cause many types of cancer and are the major cause of lung cancer in particular. Smokers' bodies are susceptible to these health problems in part because their immune systems are hampered by low levels of antioxidants in the blood.
The surgeon general also lists tobacco use as a cause for cancer of the blood, or leukemia, as well as cancers of the mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, cervix, uterus, kidney and bladder. Liver, colorectal, prostate and breast cancers may also be associated with cigarette smoking.
Respiratory
The Centers for Disease Control report that cigarette smoking can lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, as well as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, pneumonia and asthma. These illnesses are characterized by breathing obstructions that develop in the lungs or airways. These conditions are associated with tobacco use and secondhand smoke and can cause lifelong health problems or death.
Cardiovascular
Cardiovascular damage occurs from tobacco use when blood pressure and blood cholesterol become elevated. The American Heart Association reports that cigarette smoking commonly causes atherosclerosis, or a gradual buildup of plaque in the arteries. This reduces blood circulation, decreases exercise tolerance and encourages blood clotting. These health problems can cause heart attack, stroke and aneurysm, which can be deadly.
Reproductive
In addition to causing cancer of the reproductive organs, tobacco use by pregnant women causes complications in conception and delivery and can raise babies' risks for asthma and other diseases. The CDC points out that women who smoke have a greater incidence of infertility, premature delivery and stillbirth. Their children have a high chance of being born with low birth weight and of suffering from sudden infant death syndrome.
The surgeon general's report notes that male smokers may experience smoking-related erectile dysfunction and changes in sperm quality that can impact fertility. Their secondhand smoke can also be ingested by pregnant women and transmitted to fetuses.
