Smoking

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease and kills more than 480,000 Americans each year. More than 41,000 of these deaths are the result of exposure to secondhand smoke.

Smoking causes immediate damage to your body, which can lead to long-term
illnesses.   Learn more from the CDC:

• Cancer
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Asthma attacks
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (a condition that makes it harder and harder to breathe)
• Diabetes
• Vision Loss
• Buerger’s Disease
• Gum Disease

For women, smoking during pregnancy can cause serious problems. Your baby could be born too early, have a birth defect, or die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Smoking and Tobacco quitting tips from the CDC.

For every smoking-related death, at least 30 people live with a smoking-related illness.

Cigarette smoking-related illness in the United States costs more than $300 billion a year, including nearly $170 billion in direct medical care for adults and more than $156 billion in lost productivity.

Information on Tobacco-related disparities.

Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Tips from former smokers