Harmful Substances

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that tobacco use in the United States is responsible for about 1 in 5 deaths per year.  That means that smoking leads to about 443,000 deaths per year, and when compared to nonsmokers, smokers die 13-14 years earlier. *1 

 Cigarette smoking is one of the most preventable causes of premature deaths in the United States.  More than 440,000 people die as a result of smoking cigarettes.  Scientific studies provided evidence that cigarette smoking is a major cause of coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack.  There are more than 4000 harmful substances found in cigarette smoke increasing the toxic and destructive effects of smoking in the human body.  Developing primary prevention programs in at risk communities are necessary to assist people with ending smoking habits. 

Smoking and tobacco use are risk factors that lead to several long-term diseases, including coronary heart disease (blockage in heart arteries) and stroke.*2 Smoking causes the buildup of fat in the arteries, called atherosclerosis, which blocks the flow of blood through the arteries leading to possible clots in the arteries, chest pain, heart attacks or death.  Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.  It is important to know that smoking is the most preventable cause of heart disease in the United States.  People who use tobacco have more heart attacks, higher blood pressure, blood clots, strokes, and other diseases of the cardiovascular system. 

Secondhand smoke is also a risk factor for many diseases, and long-term exposure to secondhand smoke has been proven to cause a 30% increase in the risk of heart disease in nonsmokers.  Contact with secondhand smoke also results in a reduction in exercise ability, damages blood vessel walls, and increases blood clots, which also leads to heart attacks.

Also, using smokeless tobacco increases the risk of high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease and stroke.2   According to the CDC, smokeless tobacco is very addictive because of its high nicotine levels, and it may be more difficult to quit smokeless tobacco than smoking.

References:

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Years of Potential Life Lost, and Productivity Losses—United States, 2000–2004. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2008;57(45):1226–8.
2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: 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.