 Tobacco use, particularly cigarette smoking, is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States and is responsible for a growing list of cancers as well as chronic diseases including those of the lung and heart.
Tobacco, whether smoked, chewed or sniffed, contains nicotine, which is highly addictive, and contains over 60 carcinogens and 4000 chemicals. About half of all Americans who continue to smoke will die because of the habit.(2) The photo of a chronic smoker's lung shows the many black deposits that are from years of smoking. photo courtesy of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) 2007
Smoking damages nearly every organ in the human body and is linked to at least 15 different cancers, according to the American Cancer Society.
People who stop smoking at younger ages experience the greatest health benefits from quitting. Those who quit by age 35 avoid 90% of the risk due to tobacco use. However, even smokers who quit after age 50 substantially reduce their risk of dying early. The argument that it is too late to quit smoking because the damage is already done is not true. (2)
Currently one out of four Americans smoke.(2) Approximately 80% of adult smokers started smoking before the age of 18. Every day, 4,000 young people under the age of 18 try their first cigarette, (3) with nearly 22% of all high school students smoking in 2003. |
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