Tobacco users who believe their right to smoke hinges on accepting the personal risk don't take into account the wider harm that smoking cigarettes does to children, adults and the economy. Diseases related to smoking create serious health problems for smokers and nonsmokers alike.
The discomfort of being sick and facing potentially fatal outcomes is compounded by the financial blow caused by chronic illness. The emotional stress and economic expense is born not just by smokers, but by their loved ones, employers and, indeed, the larger public.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are two forms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a health problem common to tobacco users. In fact, as much as 90 percent of COPD deaths are attributed to smoking cigarettes, the American Lung Association reports.
COPD inhibits lung function, severely curtailing breathing ability in smokers. Over half of emphysema and bronchitis patients admit that their conditions limit their work productivity, an ALA survey revealed. Emphysema is incurable, and either type of breathing obstruction can cause death.
Infant Death
Secondhand smoke from tobacco use severely affects children's health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, babies in the womb who ingest secondhand smoke through the placenta are at greater risk for low birth weight, a major cause of infant mortality.
Secondhand cigarette smoke is also a known cause of the otherwise unexplained sudden infant death syndrome. SIDS is the top cause of death in children 1 to 12 months of age.
Coronary Heart Disease
Smoking cigarettes elevates heart rate and attacks the cardiovascular system in ways that encourage blood clotting. The CDC associates smoking with atherosclerosis, angina pectoris, peripheral vascular disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm, heart attack and stroke. Inhaling first- and secondhand smoke greatly increases individual risk for coronary heart disease.
Cancer
Both active and passive cigarette smoke also cause lung cancer. Additionally, because the carcinogens in tobacco smoke are circulated throughout the bloodstream, tobacco users are at risk for leukemia and other types of cancer. In 2004, the U.S. surgeon general added cancers of the esophagus, stomach, kidney, pancreas, bladder, cervix and uterus to the list of smoking-related health problems.
Financial Implications
Besides causing loss of life, smoking cigarettes affects personal finances and the national economy. Greater incidence of acute and chronic diseases in smokers and people exposed to secondhand smoke harms work productivity and creates medical expenses. The surgeon general reported an annual cost of $82 billion in lost work time and $75 billion in medical bills from smoking-related health problems in 2004.
