Cigarette smoking has been identified as the most important source of preventable morbidity and premature mortality worldwide. Smoking-related diseases claim an estimated 438,000 American lives each year, including those affected indirectly, such as babies born prematurely due to prenatal maternal smoking and victims of "secondhand" exposure to tobacco's carcinogens. Smoking costs the United States over $167 billion each year in health-care costs including $92 billion in mortality-related productivity loses and $75.5 billion in excess medical expenditures.
Smoking claims 438,000 lives each year, and costs the United States approximately $92 billion in death related productivity loses and $75.5 billion in excess medical expenditures. If those figures don’t knock your socks off, then what will? Then, why do 45.1 million Americans still smoke?
Cigarette smoke has 4800 chemicals, of which 69 have been identified so far, as causing cancer. Almost 90% of lung cancer deaths are attributed to smoking, and 80-90% of COPD/emphysema deaths.
About 8.6 million Americans have at least one disease caused by smoking. That means, for every American who dies from smoking, 20 others are living with a smoking caused disease.
Among current smokers, over 70% have a lung disease due to smoking.
Smoking also causes coronary artery disease, contributes to a variety of other malignancies, as well as exacerbates peptic ulcer disease, slow wound healing, osteoarthritis, and infertility.
Pregnant women have a 20-30% chance of delivery a baby whose weight is below the average, have pre-term babies, and/or contribute to infant deaths. Even babies who are born healthy are at times found to have narrower airways, as a result of the mother smoking.
Parents who smoke around their children, increase the children’s risk for asthma, colds and ear aches, and sudden infant death syndrome.
Second hand smoke is classified as a Class A Carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency. They attribute at least 3000 deaths annually to second hand smoke.
Nicotine is an addictive drug, which reaches the brain faster than a drug given intravenously. It is possibly one of the hardest addictions to stop.
There is a need to implement proven strategies to support cessation within comprehensive prevention and cessation programs. Effective interventions include increasing the cost of cigarettes, increasing clean indoor air regulations, reducing treatment cost by providing insurance coverage, implementing telephone smoking quit-lines, offering treatment to smokers every time they are seen in health care systems, and implementing media campaigns to encourage smokers to quit.
American Lung Association, March, 2006
http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=39853
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