How can smoking affect your health?

  Tobacco use accounts for nearly one third of all cancer deaths. Tens of thousands of women will die

Cancers

Tobacco use accounts for nearly one third of all cancer deaths. Tens of thousands of women will die this year from lung cancer, which has greatly surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer death among women. More than 90% of these deaths will be due to smoking.

In addition to increasing the risk for lung cancer, smoking is a risk factor for cancers of the cervix, mouth, larynx (voice box), pharynx (throat), esophagus, kidney, bladder, pancreas, and stomach. It is also connected to some forms of leukemia.

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), also known as secondhand smoke, has been shown to increase the risk of lung cancer. The 2006 Surgeon General’s report on secondhand smoke concluded the following:

* Secondhand smoke causes premature death and disease in children and adults who do not smoke.

* Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), respiratory infections, ear problems, and more severe asthma.

* Exposure of adults to secondhand smoke has immediate negative effects on the cardiovascular system and causes coronary heart disease and lung cancer.

* The scientific evidence shows there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke.

* Many millions of Americans, both children and adults, are still exposed to secondhand smoke in their home and workplaces even though there has been substantial progress in tobacco control.

* Getting rid of smoking in indoor spaces fully protects nonsmokers from exposure to secondhand smoke. Separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating a building cannot eliminate exposures of nonsmokers to secondhand smoke.

Heart Disease and Stroke

Women who smoke greatly increase their risk of heart disease (the leading killer among women) and stroke. Risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked and the length of time smoked. Even though most of the women who die of heart disease are past menopause, smoking increases the risk more in younger women than in older women. Some studies suggest that smoking cigarettes dramatically increases the risk of heart disease among younger women who are also taking birth control pills. Smoking is also linked to peripheral vascular disease, a narrowing and hardening of major blood vessels in the body. These risks can be reversed after 10 to 15 years of quitting smoking.

Lung Function

Smoking damages the airways and small air sacs in the lungs, and is related to chronic coughing and wheezing. About 90% of deaths due to chronic bronchitis and emphysema -- collectively known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) -- are caused by smoking. The risk increases both with the number of cigarettes smoked each day and with the length of time a woman has been smoking. Female smokers aged 35 or older are almost 13 times more likely to die from emphysema or bronchitis. Smoking "low tar" or "light" cigarettes does not seem to reduce these risks, or any of the other health risks of tobacco. Teenage girls who smoke have reduced rates of lung growth and adult women who smoke have an early decline of lung function.

Other Health Problems

Women who smoke, especially after going through menopause, have lower bone density and a higher risk for fracture, including hip fracture, than women who do not smoke. They may also be at higher risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis and cataracts (clouding of the lenses of the eyes).

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