Fast Facts About Tobacco

Tobacco Use Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, accounting for approximately 1 of every 5 deaths (438,000 people) each year. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - CDC) On average, smokers die 13 to 14 years earlier than nonsmokers. (CDC) Every year, smoking kills more than 276,000 men and 142,000 women. (CDC) Men who smoke increase their risk of death from lung cancer by more than 22 times and from bronchitis and emphysema by nearly 10 times. Women who smoke increase their risk of dying from lung cancer by nearly 12 times and the risk of dying from bronchitis and emphysema by more than 10 times. Smoking triples the risk of dying from heart disease among middle-aged men and women. (CDC) Between 1960 and 1990, deaths from lung cancer among women have increased by more than 400 percent exceeding breast cancer deaths in the mid-1980s. (CDC) Cigarettes kill more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide, and illegal drugs combined. (American Cancer Society - ACS) Only about half of the deaths related to smoking are from cancer. Smoking is also a major cause of heart disease, aneurysms, bronchitis, emphysema, and stroke. It also makes pneumonia and asthma worse. (ACS) Secondhand Smoke In the United States, cigarette smoking is responsible for about 1 in 5 deaths annually, or about 438,000 deaths per year. An estimated 38,000 of these deaths are the result of secondhand smoke exposure. (CDC) Annually, exposure to secondhand smoke (or environmental tobacco smoke) causes an estimated 3,000 deaths from lung cancer among nonsmoking American adults and impairs the respiratory health of hundreds of thousands of children. (Environmental Protection Agency) Each year secondhand smoke also causes an estimated 35,000 deaths from heart disease in people who are not current smokers. (ACS) The National Toxicology Program estimates that at least 250 chemicals in secondhand smoke are known to be toxic or carcinogenic (cancer causing).

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Because side stream smoke (the smoke released from the burning end of a cigarette) is generated at lower temperatures and under different conditions than mainstream smoke (the smoke exhaled by the smoker), it contains higher concentrations of many of the toxins found in inhaled cigarette smoke. (US Department of Health and Human Services and US Surgeon General) Smokeless Tobacco Risks and Statistics Smokeless tobacco products are often referred to as oral tobacco, chewing tobacco, snuff, or spit/spitless tobacco. Oral tobacco contains known carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) that can cause cancer of the mouth and pancreas and other health problems, including gum disease, destruction of the bone sockets around the teeth, and tooth loss. They also cause bad breath and stained teeth. (ACS) Smokeless tobacco is less lethal than cigarettes, but all forms of tobacco pose significant health risks. Smokeless tobacco products are not a safe substitute for tobacco smoking. Harmful health effects include: oral (mouth) cancer pancreatic cancer addiction to nicotine leukoplakia (white sores in the mouth that can lead to cancer) receding gums (gums slowly shrink away from around the teeth) bone loss around the roots of the teeth abrasion (scratching and wearing down) of teeth staining of teeth bad breath (ACS) Smokeless tobacco may also play a role in heart disease and high blood pressure. Men who switched from cigarettes to snuff or chewing tobacco in a large American Cancer Society study had higher death rates from heart disease, stroke, cancer of the mouth and lung, and all causes of death combined than former smokers who stopped using all tobacco products. It is unclear whether the heart disease was caused by the smokeless products in this study, because there have been few large, long-term studies to identify health problems caused by these products. (ACS) Smokeless tobacco contains 28 cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) including formaldehyde, arsenic, and nickel. (National Cancer Institute - NCI) The amount of nicotine absorbed from smokeless tobacco is 3 to 4 times the amount delivered by a cigarette. (NCI) Reasons to Quit People who stop smoking greatly reduce their risk of dying prematurely. (CDC) Smoking cessation has major and immediate health benefits, including decreasing the risk of lung and other cancers, heart disease, stroke, and chronic lung disease. (CDC)

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Just minutes after smoking that last cigarette, the body begins a series of changes that continue for years: 20 Minutes After Quitting Your heart rate and blood pressure drops. 12 Hours After Quitting Carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. 2 Weeks to 3 Months After Quitting Your heart attack risk begins to drop. Your lung function begins to improve. 1 to 9 Months After Quitting Your coughing and shortness of breath decrease. 1 Year After Quitting Your added risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smokers. 5 Years After Quitting Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmokers 5-15 years after quitting. 10 Years After Quitting Your lung cancer death rate is about half that of a smokers. Your risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases. 15 Years After Quitting Your risk of coronary heart disease is back to that of a nonsmokers. (ACS) Cost of Smoking/Chewing Average cost for pack of cigarettes in the U.S. = $4.63 (Tobaccofreekids.org) At current prices, smoking 20 cigarettes (1 pack) per day for one year costs $1,689.95. Over 5 years (if the average cost of cigarettes doesnt increase) the cost would be almost $8,500. To determine the number of cigarettes used: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/PED_10_CigCalc.asp To determine the cost of cigarettes over time: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/PED_10_cigCostCalc.asp

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