Approximately 20.6 percent of adult Americans smoke, according to a 2010 report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you're a smoker, or if you know someone who smokes, understanding some of the health risks and facts associated with smoking may provide the impetus needed to quit this dangerous habit.
Worse Cardiovascular Health
Smoking has been linked to various problems related to your general cardiovascular health, warns the American Heart Association. This includes a higher risk of experiencing a buildup of fat in your arteries, a condition medically known as atherosclerosis; higher blood pressure; and higher levels of cholesterol in your blood. For example, compared to a nonsmoker, someone who smokes is two to four times more likely to get heart disease or a stroke.
Worse Respiratory Health
When someone takes a drag from his cigarette, he inhales more than 4,800 different chemicals. This directly compromises respiratory health. For example, the American Lung Association notes that smoking causes 90 percent of chronic bronchitis-related deaths in the United States and is a leading cause of emphysema and other chronic lung diseases. Compared to nonsmokers, the risk for a smoker of dying from a lung disease is 13 times greater.
Nicotine Addiction
Nicotine is one of the thousands of chemical substances found in cigarettes, with the average smoker inhaling up to 2 mg of this chemical in every cigarette. Nicotine works as a highly addictive drug and is one of the chief reasons why people have a hard time quitting. In fact, the American Cancer Society warns that while 40 percent of smokers try to quit smoking every year, only 4 to 7 percent of them succeed.
Fertility Problems
Smoking reduces the fertility of both male and female smokers. For example, the U.S. Surgeon General warns that men who smoke experience reduced sperm quality and output. For women, the various chemicals inhaled while smoking negatively affect everything from menstrual cycles to the implantation for fertilized eggs.
Increased Cancer Risks
Smoking causes 90 percent of America's lung cancer-related deaths. However, the 69 known carcinogens in smoke lead to 10 other forms of cancer, too. This includes bladder cancer, cancer of the esophagus and stomach cancer.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Lack of Health Insurance and Type of Coverage; June 2010
- American Heart Association: Why Quit Smoking?
- American Lung Association: Smoking
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking; March 2011
- American Cancer Society; Cigarette Smoking; June 2011
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Surgeon General's Report; 2004
