"Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the U.S.," according to the American Cancer Society's "Cancer Prevention & Early Detection Facts & Figures 2009" report. Approximately 443,000 Americans die prematurely annually because of smoking, and about 49,000 of the deceased are nonsmokers who die prematurely because of secondhand smoke. Smokers die almost seven years earlier than nonsmokers, according to author Dianne Hales in "An Invitation to Health."
No. 1 Cause
"Heart attack is actually the leading cause of deaths for smokers," reports "An Invitation to Health," a college textbook. An estimated 180,000 smokers die prematurely each year of heart disease, according to Gordon Edlin, et al, in "Essentials for Health and Wellness," another college textbook. Smokers are twice as likely to have heart disease as nonsmokers, 20 times more likely to have a heart attack and 70 percent more likely to die of heart disease. Heavy smokers, those who smoke at least two packs of cigarettes daily, are 200 percent more likely to die of heart disease.
No. 2 Cause
Cancer is the second-leading cause of premature death due to smoking. About 169,000 Americans died of cancer in 2009. This is about 30 percent of the 562,340 cancer deaths, according to the "Facts & Figures 2009" report. Lung cancer due to smoking causes about 130,000 premature deaths annually, about 87 percent of all lung cancer deaths. Esophagus, pancreas and bladder cancer cause about 5,000 to 10,000 premature deaths per year. In addition, cigar smokers' premature death rates due to esophagus, larynx and oral cavity cancers are four to 10 times higher than nonsmokers.
Time Frame
The number of premature deaths caused by smoking could plummet if smokers quit at an early age, according to the "Facts and Figures 2009" report. Smokers who quit at the age of 30 will live about 10 years longer than "those who continue to smoke." Quitting at the age of 40, 50 and 60 increases the ex-smokers' life expectancy by nine, six and three years respectively, the American Cancer Society reports.
Solution
A series of tax hikes on smoking products "will" prevent more than 900,000 premature deaths, according to the "Facts and Figures 2009" report. In 2009, the U.S. government's tax on a pack of cigarettes increased from 39 cents to slightly more than $1 per pack. The same law also made taxes on chewing tobacco, cigars, pipes and snuff "significantly higher." The tax hikes will save lives by preventing almost 1.9 million children from beginning to smoke and inducing 1.4 million adults to quit, the American Cancer Society predicts.
Warning
Secondhand smoke causes premature deaths, but smoking bans at work reduce the number of nonsmokers who die prematurely because of secondhand smoke, according to the "Facts and Figures 2009" report. Nationally, nonsmokers were exposed to about half as much secondhand smoke in 2004 as 1994. Consequently, nonsmokers had fewer heart attacks and fewer adolescents began smoking, the American Cancer Society reported. Nonsmokers exposed to smoke at work have twice the heart-disease risk as nonsmokers who aren't, according to "An Invitation to Health."
References
- American Cancer Society: Cancer Prevention & Early Detection Facts & Figures 2009
- "An Invitation to Health"; Dianne Hales; 2003
- "Essentials for Health and Wellness"; Gordon Edlin, Eric Golanty and Kelli McCormack Brown; 2000
