Tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, most of which are known to be toxic to the human body and include poisons like lead and arsenic. According to the Centers for Disease Control, smoking of tobacco products is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States.
Cancer
According to the American Lung Association, smoking is directly responsible for nearly 90 percent of all lung cancer deaths. Lung cancer is the most common type of cancer in both men and women, making smoking a leading cause of preventable cancer death in the United States.
Despite the widespread focus on tobacco and lung cancer, smoking is also a contributing factor in the development of pancreatic, cervical, kidney and stomach cancers. Most cases of oral and esophageal malignancies can also be attributed to tobacco use.
Cardiovascular Disease
Smoking directly increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases like coronary heart disease and hypertension. According to AmericanHeart.org, smoking causes cardiovascular damage by decreasing tolerance to exercise, raising blood pressure and increasing blood clotting, all of which lead to elevated risks for heart attack and stroke.
Smokers who also take oral contraceptives are at an even greater risk for stroke due to the tendency of both substances to cause blood clotting. Smoking also increases the risk of developing peripheral artery disease (PAD) and aortic aneurysm.
Pulmonary Disease
In addition to lung cancer, smoking increases the incidence of other potentially fatal lung conditions like emphysema and chronic bronchitis, collectively known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Other lung conditions caused or aggravated by smoking include pneumonia, influenza and the common cold. What's more, children exposed to secondhand smoke in the home are more likely to develop chronic cough and asthma.
Reproductive Health
Smoking affects all phases of reproduction in both mother and offspring. According to the Centers for Disease Control, women who smoke are more likely to be infertile than their nonsmoking peers. Once pregnant, smoking increases the risks for complications like placenta previa, a potentially dangerous condition in which the placenta grows too close to the uterine opening.
Babies born to smoking mothers are more likely to suffer from low birth weight, premature birth, stillbirth and restricted lung function. Sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, is also twice as prevalent among babies who were exposed to tobacco in utero, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Prevention/Solution
The only way to completely eliminate the risks of smoking is to avoid tobacco use and exposure. For those who smoke, the best alternative is to quit. The risk of tobacco-related health problems can be almost completely reversed after 10 to 15 years of abstinence from smoking. Products exist that can help ease the process of quitting, such as nicotine gum and patches and prescription anti-smoking drugs.
