THE DANGERS OF TOBACCO

• Addictiveness -- The addictive potential of nicotine is similar to that of Heroin.
• Back Pain -- Smoking is a major risk factor in recovery from back pain, because poor oxygen levels of those who smoke prevent lumbar disks from being adequately oxygenated.
• Bladder Cancer -- Smoking causes 40% of all cases of bladder cancer.
• Breast Cancer -- Women smokers are 75% more likely to develop breast cancer than are non-smoking women.
• Cervical Cancer -- Women who smoke are 4 times more likely to develop cancer of the cervix than are non-smoking women.
• Childhood Respiratory Ailments -- Kids exposed to their parents' tobacco smoke have 6 times more respiratory problems (such as colds, ear infections, tonsillitis, bronchitis, asthma, and pneumonia) than children of non-smoking parents.
• Diabetes -- Smoking decreases the body's absorption of insulin.
• Drug Interactions -- Smokers need higher than normal dosages of certain drugs.
• Ear Infections -- Children of smokers face an increased risk of otitis media.
• Emphysema -- About 85% of all deaths from emphysema are caused by smoking.
• Esophageal Cancer -- About 80% of all throat cancer is caused by smoking and many cases are caused by snuff or chewing tobacco.
• Fires -- Smoking is the leading cause of fire in homes, hotels, and hospitals.
• Gastrointestinal Cancer -- Smoking doubles the risk of cancer of the stomach and duodenum.
• Heart Disease -- If you smoke, you are about 4 times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those who don't smoke.
• Infertility -- Couples in which at least one member smokes are more than 3 times more likely to have trouble getting pregnant than non-smoking couples.
• Kidney Cancer -- Of all cases of cancer of the kidney, 40% are caused by smoking.
• Laryngeal Cancer -- If you smoke more than 25 cigarettes daily, you are almost 30 times more likely to develop cancer of the voice box than those who are non-smokers.  Also, many cases of cancer of the larynx are caused by snuff or chewing tobacco.
• Leukemia -- Tobacco smoke contains several cancer-causing chemicals, some of which are known to cause leukemia.
• Low Birth Weight -- Women who smoke as few as 5 cigarettes per day during pregnancy have a significantly greater risk of giving birth to an unnaturally small, lightweight baby.
• Mouth Cancer -- Tobacco (whether dipped, chewed, or smoked) causes nearly every case of cancer of the mouth, lips, cheek, tongue, salivary glands, and tonsils.
• Nutrition -- Smokers tend to have poorer nutrition than non-smokers.  Smoking causes lower levels of HDL, the "good" cholesterol.
• Osteoporosis -- Women smokers tend to have menopause 5 to 10 years earlier than expected, causing increased bone thinning at an earlier age, which increases the later risk of hip fracture and vertebral compression fractures.
• Pharyngeal Cancer -- The majority of those who are killed by cancer of the pharynx are smokers.
• Premature Aging -- Constant exposure to tobacco smoke prematurely wrinkles facial skin and yellows teeth and fingernails.
• Recovery From Injury Or Surgery -- People who smoke have delayed healing of wounds and bones.  They are also at greater risk of complications from surgery and anesthesia.
• Stroke -- Smoking doubles the risk of stroke.
• Tooth Loss -- Use of snuff or chewing tobacco causes gum recession and tooth abrasion, which contributes to tooth loss.

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This page was last updated on 23 August 1999.