What are the effects of cigarettes smoking
Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking
OverviewSmoking and DeathSmoking and Increased Health RisksSmoking and Cardiovascular DiseaseSmoking and Respiratory Disease
Smoking and CancerSmoking and Other Health RisksQuitting and Reduced RisksReferencesFor Further Information
Overview
Cigarette smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causes many diseases, and reduces the health of smokers in general.1,2
Quitting smoking lowers your risk for smoking-related diseases and can add years to your life.1,2
Smoking and Death
Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.1
. Cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States. This is nearly one in five deaths.1,2,3Smoking causes more deaths each year than the following causes combined:4Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)Illegal drug useAlcohol useMotor vehicle injuriesFirearm-related incidentsMore than 10 times as many U.S. citizens have died prematurely from cigarette smoking than have died in all the wars fought by the United States during its history.1Smoking causes about 90% (or 9 out of 10) of all lung cancer deaths in men and women.1,2More women die from lung cancer each year than from breast cancer.5About 80% (or 8 out of 10) of all deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are caused by smoking.1Cigarette smoking increases risk for death from all causes in men and women.1The risk of dying from cigarette smoking has increased over the last 50 years in men and women in the United States.1
Smoking and Increased Health Risks
Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer.1
Smoking is estimated to increase the risk—For coronary heart disease by 2 to 4 times1,6For stroke by 2 to 4 times1Of men developing lung cancer by 25 times1Of women developing lung cancer by 25.7 times1Smoking causes diminished overall health, increased absenteeism from work, and increased health care utilization and cost.1
Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease
Smokers are at greater risk for diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease).1,2
Smoking causes stroke and coronary heart disease, which are among the leading causes of death in the United States.1,3Even people who smoke fewer than five cigarettes a day can have early signs of cardiovascular disease.1Smoking damages blood vessels and can make them thicken and grow narrower. This makes your heart beat faster and your blood pressure go up. Clots can also form.1,2A stroke occurs when a clot blocks the blood flow to part of your brain or when a blood vessel in or around your brain bursts.1,2Blockages caused by smoking can also reduce blood flow to your legs and skin.1,2
Smoking and Respiratory Disease
Smoking can cause lung disease by damaging your airways and the small air sacs (alveoli) found in your lungs.1,2
Lung diseases caused by smoking include COPD, which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.1,2Cigarette smoking causes most cases of lung cancer.1,2If you have asthma, tobacco smoke can trigger an attack or make an attack worse.1,2Smokers are 12 to 13 times more likely to die from COPD than nonsmokers.1
Smoking and Cancer
Smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body:1,2 (See figure above)
BladderBlood (acute myeloid leukemia)CervixColon and rectum (colorectal)EsophagusKidney and ureterLarynxLiverOropharynx (includes parts of the throat, tongue, soft palate, and the tonsils)PancreasStomachTrachea, bronchus, and lung
Smoking also increases the risk of dying from cancer and other diseases in cancer patients and survivors.1
If nobody smoked, one of every three cancer deaths in the United States would not happen.1,2
Smoking and Other Health Risks
Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and affects a person’s overall health.1,2
Smoking can make it harder for a woman to become pregnant and can affect her baby's health before and after birth. Smoking increases risks for:1,2,5Preterm (early) deliveryStillbirth (death of the baby before birth)Low birth weightSudden infant death syndrome (known as SIDS or crib death)Ectopic pregnancyOrofacial clefts in infantsSmoking can also affect men's sperm, which can reduce fertility and also increase risks for birth defects and miscarriage.2Smoking can affect bone health.1,5Women past childbearing years who smoke have weaker bones than women who never smoked, and are at greater risk for broken bones.Smoking affects the health of your teeth and gums and can cause tooth loss.1Smoking can increase your risk for cataracts (clouding of the eye’s lens that makes it hard for you to see) and age-related macular degeneration (damage to a small spot near the center of the retina, the part of the eye needed for central vision).1Smoking is a cause of type 2 diabetes mellitus and can make it harder to control. The risk of developing diabetes is 30–40% higher for active smokers than nonsmokers.1,2Smoking causes general adverse effects on the body, including inflammation and decreased immune function.1Smoking is a cause of rheumatoid arthritis.1
Quitting and Reduced Risks
Quitting smoking cuts cardiovascular risks. Just 1 year after quitting smoking, your risk for a heart attack drops sharply.2Within 2 to 5 years after quitting smoking, your risk for stroke could fall to about the same as a nonsmoker’s.2If you quit smoking, your risks for cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder drop by half within 5 years.2Ten years after you quit smoking, your risk for lung cancer drops by half.2
References
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014 [accessed 2015 Oct 5].U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: What It Means to You. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2010 [accessed 2015 Oct 5].Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. QuickStats: Number of Deaths from 10 Leading Causes—National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2010. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2013:62(08);155. [accessed 2015 Oct 5].Mokdad AH, Marks JS, Stroup DF, Gerberding JL. Actual Causes of Death in the United States. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association 2004;291(10):1238–45 [cited 2015 Oct 5].U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Women and Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville (MD): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General, 2001 [accessed 2015 Oct 5].U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Reducing the Health Consequences of Smoking: 25 Years of Progress. A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville (MD): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 1989 [accessed 2015 Oct 5].
For Further Information
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office on Smoking and Health
E-mail: tobaccoinfo@cdc.gov
Phone: 1-800-CDC-INFO
Media Inquiries: Contact CDC's Office on Smoking and Health press line at 770-488-5493.
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Page last reviewed: February 17, 2016Page last updated: October 1, 2015Content source: Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
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