Stop Smoking Articles

The Frightening But True Facts About Smoking

If you think that smoking is a harmless little hobby and all the people harping on you to quit are overreactors, think again. Smoking is the number ONE preventable cause of premature death and morbidity in America. There is nothing more dangerous you can be doing to your health. And it isnt just bad for you, smoking around your kids can cause severe health complications down the road and cause serious damage while their lungs and other vital organs are developing. All of this information is well documented by the AMA, American Lung and Heart Associations, and the American Cancer Society.

Background On the Problem Of Smoking

Cigarette smoking has been identified as the most important source of preventable morbidity and premature mortality worldwide. Smoking is responsible for approximately one in five deaths in the United States. From 1995 to 1999, smoking killed over 440,000 people in the United States each year. This includes an estimated 264,087 male and 178,311 female deaths annually. Among adults, most smoking attributable deaths were from lung cancer (124,813), coronary heart disease (81,976) and chronic airway obstruction (64,735).

Excluding adult deaths from exposure to secondhand smoke, adult males and females lost an average of 13.2 and 14.5 years of life respectively, due to smoking. If current tobacco use patterns persist in the United States, an estimated 6.4 million children (8,830 per 100,000) will die prematurely from a smoking-related disease. Smoking costs the economy over $150 billion in annual health care costs and lost productivity, including $81.9 billion in mortality-related productivity losses and $75.5 billion in excess medical expenditures. It is directly responsible for 87 percent of lung cancer cases and causes most cases of emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Cardiovascular disease is the primary cause of death in the United States. It is estimated that as many as 30% of deaths from cardiovascular disease are a result of tobacco use. In 2001, approximately 65,000 women died of lung cancer. 85,000 men die each year from smoking related cancers of the trachea, lung and bronchus. These statistics are not encouraging, and indicate that smoking has a far more negative impact on the health of Americans and the strength of our economy than most people are aware of. These statistics alone should make people stop smoking, but unfortunately many people relapse back into the habit.

In 2000, more than 70% of smokers wanted to quit, and 41% tried for at least a day. Many smokers report making 8-11 attempts before quitting for good. With a large majority of smokers desiring to quit, it is imperative that they are given the tools and support they need to increase their chances of being successful.

Judy Brown is a director of http://www.lifenatural.com, http://www.smoke-rx.com and http://www.helpquitsmoking.net a pure informational resource where you will find further information on how to quit smoking.

Related Links:

Some Tips on Stopping Smoking

What are Some Benefits For Quitting Smoking?

Smoking - The Myth of Addiction

Latest Stop Smoking News

About.com Smoking Cessation
Get the latest headlines from the About.com Smoking Cessation GuideSite.

• Lung Cancer: Cheryl's Story
  3 Sep 2008 at 1:54am
  ...
  
• Quit Smoking Monday Messages
  1 Sep 2008 at 2:25am
  Finding True Freedom From Nicotine AddictionIf there is a golden rule about quitting smoking, it is this: Smoking cessation is a process of gradual release over time.As much as we'd...
  
• "Dear John" to a Cigarette
  1 Sep 2008 at 1:52am
  For a lot of us, the habit of smoking was so overpowering, so enslaving, that breaking free of it brings on a re-birth of sorts. We emerge from the ashes...
  
• Living With Emphysema
  1 Sep 2008 at 1:20am
  According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, emphysema affects over 2 million Americans, the majority of whom are 50 years old and over. Former Guide to About.com Smoking...
  
• Tobacco in The News
  28 Aug 2008 at 1:33am
  California Stop-Smoking Campaign Saved $86 Billion: ReportCHICAGO (Reuters) - California's large-scale tobacco control campaign has saved $86 billion in health care costs in its first 15 years, U.S. researchers said...
  
• Free Email Courses to Help You Stop Smoking
  27 Aug 2008 at 7:41am
  Give yourself a head start with your quit program by signing up for one or all of the following free email courses here at About.com Smoking Cessation. Designed to help...