The effects of smoking cigars, cigarettes and pipes are extensive. Work and social opportunities, physical activity level, quality of aging and even the length of lifetime itself can all be restricted by tobacco use.
In addition, smoking affects the health and well-being of other people. Contact with secondhand smoke carries many of the same cancer and heart disease risks as active smoking. Relationships can be hampered by smokers' destructive habits.
Disease Risks
Among the serious health problems associated with tobacco use are the four major causes of premature death in the United States: heart disease, cancer, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The U.S. Surgeon General reports that smoking also increases the risk of contracting peripheral vascular disease, reproductive disorders, osteoporosis, pneumonia, cataracts and periodontitis.
Poor Physical Fitness
Smokers tend to be less physically active than nonsmokers. As lung damage and atherosclerosis, or clogged arteries, are created by long-term smoking, exercise tolerance drops and blood clots can form more easily. The American Heart Association reports that these health problems increase the risk of heart attack.
Poor Surgical Outcomes
Smoking cigarettes affects the immune system and restricts wound healing. Their poor surgical risk can keep smokers from beneficial operations, such as joint replacement. Life-saving surgeries can be complicated by smokers' higher incidence of wound and lung infections. The CDC reports that smokers have a lower rate of postoperative survival than nonsmokers.
Reduced Life Expectancy
All of these factors convene to reduce the average life span of smokers. Men can lose 13.2 years, and women can lose 14.5 years, the Surgeon General reports. This is partially due to the high rate of lung cancer caused by smoking cigarettes. Most cases of lung cancer are fatal, and 85 percent of lung cancer deaths are attributed to smoking.
Financial Strain
One of the most noticeable effects of tobacco use is the economic cost. The American Lung Association reports that cigarette prices vary between $5 and $10 a pack. A daily habit, along with the health problems it causes, can cost thousands of dollars per year. This affects smokers' families and employers too.
Social Limitations
Smoking cigarettes in designated areas several times a day isolates tobacco users. The American Cancer Society notes that smokers may be limited to socializing with other smokers, who make up only about one-fifth of the adult population.
