Smoking is the leading cause of premature, preventable death in the United States. Cigarette smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke result in approximately 480,000 premature deaths annually. Of these deaths, about 36% are due to cancer, 39% to heart disease and stroke, and 24% to lung disease. Mortality rates among smokers are about three times higher than among individuals who have never smoked.

Nicotine and Addiction

Smoking is highly addictive. Nicotine, the primary addictive substance in tobacco products, is responsible for this dependency. The addiction to cigarettes and other tobacco products caused by nicotine is comparable to addictions to drugs such as heroin and cocaine. While nicotine occurs naturally in the tobacco plant, tobacco companies intentionally design cigarettes to contain enough nicotine to create and sustain addiction.

Health Effects of Smoking

Smoking harms nearly every organ and organ system in the body, diminishing overall health. It causes cancers of the lung, esophagus, larynx, mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, liver, pancreas, stomach, cervix, colon, rectum, and acute myeloid leukemia.

Smoking is also a major cause of:

• Heart disease, stroke, and aortic aneurysm (a balloon-like bulge in an artery in the chest).
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
• Diabetes, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and eye diseases such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
• Respiratory infections, including pneumonia and tuberculosis.

Additionally, smoking worsens asthma symptoms in adults, causes inflammation, and impairs immune function.

Smoking and Reproductive Health

Smoking negatively impacts reproductive health for both men and women:

• Women who smoke may struggle to conceive and are at higher risk for miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, preterm birth, and low birth weight. Smoking during or after pregnancy also increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• Men who smoke are at higher risk of erectile dysfunction.

The Benefits of Quitting Smoking

Immediate Health Benefits

The immediate health benefits of quitting smoking are significant:

• Heart rate and blood pressure, which are elevated while smoking, begin to return to normal.
• Within a few hours, blood carbon monoxide levels decrease, improving oxygen delivery to the body.
• Within weeks, circulation improves, coughing and wheezing reduce, and less phlegm is produced.
• Within several months, lung function improves substantially

Long-Term Health Benefits

The long-term health benefits of quitting smoking are even more profound:

• Quitting reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, COPD, and other chronic illnesses caused by smoking.
• Data from the U.S. National Health Interview Survey show that smokers who quit before age 40 reduce their risk of dying prematurely from smoking-related diseases by 90%, while those who quit between 45 and 54 reduce it by about two-thirds.

Where to Get Help to Quit Smoking

NCI and other organizations provide free resources and support to help smokers quit:

• Visit Smokefree.gov for free information, tools, and resources, including personalized quit plans, smartphone apps, and text message programs.
• For counseling, call the NCI Smoking Quitline at 1–877–44U–QUIT (1–877–448–7848).

Quitting smoking at any age offers immediate and long-term health benefits—it's never too late to quit.

References:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2014. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2010.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2004

Dr. Emmanuel Opada is a Public health physician and Epidemiologist at the Victoria County Public Health Department, where he coordinates disease surveillance activities for the County of Victoria and its environs. He holds a Master's in public health from Saint Louis University, Missouri.