PROMOTING HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES
HEALTH EFFECTS OF TOBACCO
October 2, 2022 - 3 minute read
Cigarette producers have claimed that their products are not proven to be harmful to health for the majority of the last 100 years, according to smokers. In fact, cigarette manufacturers sometimes suggested to customers that their brands were safer than their rivals because the smoke was milder, softer, & less annoying. Ironically, modifying cigarette smoke to make it gentler, lighter, and less annoying led to smokers inhaling the smoke deeper deeply into their lungs, negating any potential health benefits.
TOBACCO HARMS
Smoking causes damage to almost all of the body’s organs and increases the risk of illness and early death. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the US, and tobacco use is a significant contributor to this mortality cause.
Stroke risk is increased by smoking tobacco. Smokers are more likely to die from a stroke than ex-smokers or persons who have never smoked. 1 in 4 deaths from cardiovascular disease is related to tobacco usage.
DEATH & DISEASE
Smoking is a major contributor to between 8 and 10 cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Use of tobacco can be harmful to a baby’s health before, during, and after pregnancy. More than 34 million adult Americans have type 2 diabetes, which is brought on by tobacco smoking.
According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death in the country, accounting for nearly 800,000 fatalities there each year. Nearly 20% of those are a result of smoking cigarettes.
Many people associate smoking with activities they perform during the course of the day, such as taking breaks, consuming coffee, finishing meals, conversing with friends, or using the phone. We refer to these as triggers.
PROTECT YOUR HEART
The greatest approach to protect your heart from illnesses and deaths brought on by smoking is to never start smoking. But if you do smoke, it’s best to stop as soon as you can. Your heart and cardiovascular system will benefit now and in the future if you stop smoking. After 20 minutes of quitting smoking, your heart rate begins to slow down. In just 12 hours after quitting, the blood’s level of carbon monoxide returns to normal, allowing more oxygen to reach crucial organs like the heart. Your risk of stroke lowers to that of lifetime nonsmokers four years after stopping.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics
- World Health Organization. (2021). Tobacco. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets
- American Cancer Society. (2021). Health Risks of Smoking Tobacco. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2021). Tobacco, Nicotine, and E-Cigarettes. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/
- American Heart Association. (2021). Health Risks of Smoking. Retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/
