Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States.
As of 2017, about 34 million US adults smoke cigarettes. Every day, about 2,000 young people under age 18 smoke their first cigarette, and more than 300 become daily cigarette smokers. Over 16 million people live with at least one disease caused by smoking, and 58 million nonsmoking Americans are exposed to secondhand smoke.
World No Tobacco Day, May 31, 2019, raises awareness of the negative impact tobacco has on lung health (from cancer to chronic diseases) and what fundamental role lungs play for total health and well-being.
This campaign also serves as a call to action, advocating for effective policies for reducing tobacco use and engaging stakeholders across multiple sectors in the fight for tobacco control.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and global partners celebrate World No Tobacco Day to raise awareness on the harmful and deadly effects of tobacco, including second-hand smoke exposure, and to discourage the use of tobacco in all forms.
Visit the WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic here.
Cigarette smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causes many diseases, and reduces the health of smokers in general.
Health Risks from Smoking:
Cancer
• Bladder
• Blood (acute myeloid leukemia)
• Cervix
• Colon and rectum (colorectal)
• Esophagus
• Kidney and ureter
• Larynx
• Liver
• Oropharynx (includes parts of the throat, tongue, soft palate, and the tonsils)
• Pancreas
• Stomach
• Trachea, bronchus, and lung
Chronic Disease
• Aortic aneurysm, early abdominal aortic atherosclerosis in young adults
• Atherosclerotic peripheral vascular disease
• Blindness, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration*
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis,* asthma, and other respiratory effects
• Congenital defects-maternal smoking: orofacial clefts*
• Coronary heart disease
• Diabetes*
• Ectopic pregnancy*
• Hip fractures
• Immune function*
• Male sexual function-erectile dysfunction*
• Overall diminished health
• Periodontitis
• Pneumonia
• Reproductive effects in women (including reduced fertility)
• Rheumatoid arthritis*
• Stroke
Lung Cancer
Smoking tobacco is the primary cause of lung cancer, responsible for over two-thirds of lung cancer deaths globally. Second-hand smoke exposure at home or work also increases the risk of lung cancer. Smoking cessation can reduce the risk of lung cancer: after 10 years of quitting, the risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker.
If no-one smoked, one of every three cancer deaths in the United States would not occur.
Chronic respiratory disease
Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, a condition leading to a build-up of mucus in the lungs resulting in a painful cough and agonizing breathing difficulties. The risk of developing COPD is particularly high in those who begin smoking at a young age because tobacco smoke significantly slows lung development. Tobacco also exacerbates asthma, which restricts activity and contributes to disability.
Early smoking cessation is the most effective treatment for slowing the progression of COPD and improving asthma symptoms.
Health of infants and Children
When infants are exposed in-utero to tobacco smoke toxins, whether through maternal smoking or maternal exposure to second-hand smoke, they experience reduced lung growth and function.
Young children who are exposed to second-hand smoke are at increased risk for the onset and exacerbation of asthma, pneumonia, and bronchitis, as well as recurring lower respiratory infections.
Tragically, it is estimated that globally 60,000 children die before the age of 5 due to lower respiratory infections caused by second-hand smoke.
Those who live on into adulthood continue to suffer the health consequences of second-hand smoke exposure, as frequent lower respiratory infections in early childhood significantly increase risk of developing COPD in adulthood.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) damages lungs and decreases function. This is further exacerbated by smoking tobacco. About one-quarter of the world’s population has latent TB, placing them at risk of developing the active disease. People who smoke tobacco are two times as likely to catch TB. In people with active TB, compounded by the damage of tobacco smoking, the risks of disability and death from respiratory failure are substantially increased.
Air pollution
The actual smoke from tobacco is a very dangerous form of indoor air pollution. Tobacco smoke contains a deadly mixture of over 7,000 chemicals, 70 of which are known to cause cancer. The smoke can linger in the air for up to five hours, putting those exposed at risk of lung cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and reduced lung function.
Stopping smoking is associated with the following health benefits
Reduced risk for:
lung cancer and many other types of cancer
heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease
respiratory symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath
developing some lung diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
infertility in women of childbearing age
Additionally
People who stop smoking lower heart disease risk within 1 to 2 years of quitting.
Women who stop smoking during pregnancy reduce the risk of having a low birth weight baby.
Smokeless Tobacco
Is not burned
Includes tobacco that can be sucked or chewed
Can be spit or swallowed, depending on the product
Can be spitless, depending on the product
Contains nicotine and is addictive
May appeal to youth because it comes in flavors such as cinnamon, berry, vanilla, and apple
Types of smokeless tobacco:
Chewing tobacco (loose leaf, plug, or twist and may come in flavors)
Snuff (moist, dry, or in packets
Dissolvables (lozenges, sticks, strips, orbs)
Smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking. Learn more about these products.
Causes cancer of
mouth
esophagus (the passage that connects the throat to the stomach)
pancreas (a gland that helps with digestion and maintaining proper blood sugar levels)
Also can lead to
nicotine addiction
diseases of the mouth
increased risks for early delivery and stillbirth when used during pregnancy
nicotine poisoning in children
increased risks for death from heart disease and stroke
Using smokeless tobacco during pregnancy can increase the risk for early delivery and stillbirth.
Nicotine in smokeless tobacco products that are used during pregnancy can affect how a baby’s brain develops before birth.
Electronic Cigarrettes
Get the facts about electronic cigarettes, their health effects and the risks of using e-cigarettes.
E-cigarettes are sometimes called “e-cigs,” “vapes,” “e-hookahs,” “vape pens,” and “electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).” Some e-cigarettes look like regular cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Some look like USB flash drives, pens, and other everyday items.
Since 2014, e-cigarettes have been the most commonly used tobacco product [PDF–808 KB] among US middle and high school students. Between 2017 and 2018 alone, the number of youth who used e-cigarettes went up by 1.5 million. In fact, the US Surgeon General has called e-cigarette use by youth an “epidemic,” and warned that it threatens decades of progress toward making sure fewer young people use tobacco.
Research also shows that e-cigarette advertising uses many of the same themes that have led to cigarette smoking among young people. In 2016, nearly 7 out of 10 US middle and high school students saw ads for e-cigarettes [PDF–3.69 MB] in stores, on the Internet, on TV, or in magazines or newspapers.
Advertising can also make e-cigarette use look harmless for young people.
Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, the highly addictive drug in tobacco. Nicotine is especially harmful to young people. The human brain keeps developing until around the age of 25. Using products with nicotine under age 25 can harm the part of the brain responsible for memory, attention, and learning.
Many young people who use e-cigarettes also smoke regular cigarettes. There is evidence that young people who use e-cigarettes may be more likely to smoke regular cigarettes in the future.
The liquid that e-cigarettes heat to form an aerosol (vapor) contains harmful ingredients—including heavy metals and even cancer-causing chemicals—that can be breathed deep into the lungs. The part of the e-cigarette that heats up may also explode or cause serious burns.
If you work with young people, you may have seen an e-cigarette device without even knowing it. The most often sold e-cigarette in the United States is a brand called JUUL, which looks like a USB flash drive. JUUL “pods,” which contain liquid heated by the device, have as much nicotine as a pack of 20 cigarettes. They also come in flavors, which can make them more appealing to young people.
E-cigarettes can also look like other everyday items, such as highlighters, credit cards, remote controls, and pens.
That’s why it’s up to you to educate yourself about e-cigarettes. Know what to say when the topic comes up. The earlier and more often you speak with young people about e-cigarettes, the more likely they are to listen.
It’s important that schools, community centers, and other places where young people gather during or after school hours have tobacco-free campus policies.
If there is already a tobacco-free policy in place, make sure students know about it and that it is enforced. School or community events should also set a good example by not accepting sponsorship from tobacco or e-cigarette companies.
Young people are also more likely to pay attention if the adults in their lives who they trust and respect are willing to talk. Teachers and administrators can use health classes and assemblies this upcoming school year to invite students to ask questions about e-cigarettes. There are many e-cigarette prevention programs teachers can use in their classrooms to let students know about the risks of e-cigarette use.
It’s also important to give students who do use e-cigarettes and want to stop the support and resources they need to quit.
Many resources are available, including a mobile app to help youth quit using e-cigarettes.
Finally, if you use any tobacco products, commit to quit. Kids are more likely to use tobacco products if others around them do. So lead by example – be tobacco-free. As students return to classes this school year, you can help make sure they are more informed and confident than ever about making healthy choices.
Death from Smoking
Tobacco use can lead to tobacco/nicotine dependence and serious health problems. Quitting smoking greatly reduces the risk of developing smoking-related diseases.
Tobacco/nicotine dependence is a condition that often requires repeated treatments, but there are helpful treatments and resources for quitting.
Smokers can and do quit smoking.