Effects of Smoking

A Dangerous Habit

Although the effects of smoking have been well documented, nearly 25% of the population insists on continuing this dangerous and expensive habit.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable premature death in the United States. Each year, over 400,000 people die from illnesses related to cigarette smoking. In addition, smoking costs the U.S. economy over $94 billion in lost productivity and $89 billion in healthcare expenses each year.

Health Risks of Smoking

In addition to addictive amounts of nicotine, cigarettes contain traces of formaldehyde, ammonia, acetone, tar, arsenic, and carbon monoxide. Obviously, this leads to a wide variety of health problems. For example:

• Smoking increases the risk of lung problems such as asthma, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. In addition, 87% of lung cancer cases are attributed to cigarette smoking.
• The effects of smoking can cause cataracts and macular degeneration.
• In addition to decreasing your sense of taste and smell, smoking can lead to gastric ulcers and other digestive problems.
• In people who suffer from high blood pressure, cigarette smoking increases the risk of strokes and heart attacks.
• In men, smoking is linked to impotence and infertility.
• In pregnant women, the effects of smoking include an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy, placenta previa, miscarriage, and premature birth.

Effects of Smoking on Your Appearance

Even longtime smokers who are aware of the health risks are shocked to discover the negative cosmetic effects of smoking. For example:

• Smoking dehydrates your skin and deprives it of essential oxygen. If you were to quit smoking today, you’d see smoother and more radiant skin in less than one week.
• Smoking causes signs of premature aging. Some studies have suggested that smoking adds about 10 years to a person’s perceived age. This effect may be even more pronounced if you frequently go without sunscreen or fail to care for your skin properly.
• In many cases, smoking causes yellow teeth and chronic bad breath.
• Longtime smokers have tripled their risk of developing psoriasis when compared to their non-smoking counterparts.

Effects of Secondhand Smoke

Did you know that secondhand smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals? Every time you smoke in your workplace, your home, or your favorite restaurant, you are exposing the people around you to a plethora of toxic chemicals.

The negative effects of secondhand smoke are well documented. For example:

• Most non-smokers immediately notice throat irritation, sneezing, nausea, headache, or burning eyes when exposed to secondhand smoke.
• Prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke increases a person’s risk of developing lung cancer or coronary heart disease.
• In infants, secondhand smoke increases the risk of death from SIDS.
• In young children, exposure to secondhand smoke has been linked to pneumonia, asthma, and bronchitis.

Additional Information

• Quit Smoking Resources from the CDC
• American Cancer Society’s Guide to Quitting Smoking
• Surgeon General’s Guide to Quitting Smoking

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