Facts Against Smoking
It is hard to make a case for smoking with all of the medical data available today. According to the National Cancer Institute, over 400,000 deaths in the United States can be attributed to smoking-related diseases every year. A 2004 report by the U.S. Surgeon General states that smoking harms nearly every organ in the human body and is responsible for over 5,000,000 worldwide deaths per year. Smoking also presents a huge financial burden--in addition to the billions of dollars spent by smokers on tobacco products, smoking costs the United States $97 billion in lost productivity and $96 billion in health care expenses per year.
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Additives in Tobacco
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Tobacco contains nicotine, a highly addictive substance which makes it extremely difficult to stop smoking. Additionally, over 4,000 individual components have been found in tobacco and its smoke, over 60 of which are known cancer-causing agents. Cigarette companies often argue that many of the additives they use are approved for food products, but it is the burning of these compounds which renders them toxic. Compounds found in tobacco and tobacco smoke include ammonia, tar, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide.
Risk of Cancer
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Tobacco smoke is classified as a "known human carcinogen" by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health considers secondhand smoke an occupational carcinogen. Smoking causes approximately 90% of lung cancer deaths in men and almost 80% in women. In addition to lung cancer, smoking has also been tied to cancers of the bladder, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, cervix, kidneys, pancreas, and stomach, as well as some forms of leukemia.
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Other Disease
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One in five deaths in the United States can be tied to smoking-related diseases, and the Center for Disease Control reports that smoking causes more deaths annually than HIV, illegal drugs, alcohol, motor vehicle accidents, suicides, and murders combined. In addition to the threat of cancer, smoking also wreaks havoc on the body's cardiovascular system. Smokers are 2-4 times more likely to experience heart disease than nonsmokers. Also, smoking is responsible for many instances of emphysema and other obstructive lung disease--around 90% of deaths from such diseases are due to smoking.
Secondhand Smoke
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Smokers do not only harm themselves when they smoke. A report from the U.S. Surgeon General in 2006 confirmed the serious health consequences associated with secondhand exposure to tobacco smoke. According to the report, almost 60% of American children 3-11 years old are exposed to secondhand smoke, and 43% of U.S. nonsmokers have detectable levels of secondhand smoke exposure. The report also concluded that children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for asthma and other respiratory infections.
Finances
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Smoking is not only detrimental to your health, it also strikes a blow to your finances. Many municipalities are now taxing tobacco purchases in an attempt to drive people to quit smoking. In New York City, a taxed pack of cigarettes cost between $9 and $10 as of May 2009--assuming a one pack a day habit, a New York smoker who quits will save anywhere from $3,200 to $4,000 per year.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Photo by Ilco - downloaded from http://www.sxc.hu
