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Smoking

It is estimated that smoking kills over 300,000 people in the U.S. every year. Smoking is the largest preventable cause of premature death and disability in America. One out of every six deaths annually is either directly or indirectly attributable to cigarette smoking.

In the U.S., about 23 billion dollars is spent in medical costs related to smoking. Over 30 billion dollars are lost due to decreased productivity and absences from work linked to health problems related to smoking.

The serious diseases most frequently caused by smoking are:

• lung cancer (the risk for smokers is 10 times greater than for nonsmokers)
• emphysema
• chronic bronchitis
• heart attack
• stroke (the risk for smokers is almost 3 times greater than for nonsmokers)
• heart pains as a result of coronary artery disease (angina)
• leg pains as a result of blockages in lower extremity arteries (claudication)

It is never too late to quit smoking. Two years after stopping, your risk of heart attack returns to average. After 2 years, there is a decrease in lung cancer risk by about one-third. After 10 years of quitting, your risk for lung cancer returns to near normal.

Low-yield cigarettes are not safe and probably do not decrease your risk of serious disease. Smokeless tobacco is also a serious threat to the health of its users and is not a safe alternative to smoking. With use, the risk of cancers of the larynx, pancreas, esophagus, and other diseases goes up significantly.

Four out of five smokers start smoking before age 21, when most people are not concerned with long-term health risks.

Smoking parents should stop if for no other reason than for the health of their children. The adverse health effects of second-hand smoke are well documented, resulting in most of the states in the U.S. enacting laws limiting smoking in public places. Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of fetal or infant death, miscarriage, and of having a low-birth-weight baby.

While tension and irritability are common smoking withdrawal symptoms, the health benefits begin almost immediately upon stopping. In addition to the health benefits, food will taste better, your stamina will improve, and you will avoid the cost of cigarettes.

Combine your stop-smoking program with either the beginning of or an increased exercise program. Avoid prolonged use of nicotine chewing gum if possible -- nicotine itself has negative health effects, though these are less severe than those associated with smoking cigarettes. The American Cancer Society has "stop-smoking" courses which can help you quit successfully.

Research shows that the more times you try to quit, the more likely you are to stop. Medications like Zyban and nicotine replacement therapies can dramatically increase your odds of stopping and staying stopped.