A study published back in 2012 by the Conference Board of Canada revealed that smoking is the cause of over 45,000 deaths in Canada each year, accounting for almost 1 in 5 (18.4%) of all deaths in the country. Smoking also results in annual direct healthcare costs of 6.5 billion dollars and total economic costs of 16.2 billion dollars, including healthcare expenses. To prevent yourself from dying because of smoking, you can click on this link: www.inpatient-rehab.co.uk.
The study showed that the harmful effects of tobacco on health in 2012 were significantly higher compared to a study conducted a decade earlier in 2002. In 2002, smoking was linked to 37,209 deaths, while in 2012, it was 45,464. Direct healthcare expenditures also increased from 4.4 billion dollars in 2002 to 6.5 billion dollars in 2012.
Furthermore, in 2012, several new health impacts, not considered in 2002, were taken into account. More recent research has demonstrated the association between smoking and colorectal cancer, as well as liver cancer (5,217 deaths); it has also established a link between smoking and fatal outcomes from influenza/pneumonia/tuberculosis (1,248 deaths) and smoking-related complications in diabetes (192 cases).
We currently don’t know the extent to which smoking is associated with complications in the current pandemic, but it is presumed that such a link exists.
The statistics are even more disheartening in the United States, where cigarette smoking claims the lives of over 480,000 people annually. This amounts to nearly one in every five deaths. According to the CDC, smoking in the U.S. causes more deaths each year than the following causes combined:
- HIV/AIDS
- Illegal drug use
- Alcohol use
- Motor vehicle injuries
- Incidents involving firearms
- Smoking kills more than ten times as many U.S. citizens as all the wars fought by the United States.
Here are some established facts about the harm caused by smoking:
Smoking can cause lung disease by damaging your airways and the small air sacs (alveoli) in your lungs.
Smoking is a leading cause of nearly 80% (or 8 out of 10) of all cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Tobacco smoke can trigger an asthma attack or make an attack worse.
Smoking increases the risk of heart and blood vessel disease, strokes, and heart attacks. Estimates show that smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke by 2 to 4 times. For mild stroke victims who have trouble walking, they can start reading about stairlift pricing information to improve their independence.
- Smoking damages blood vessels and can make them less elastic, making the heart work harder and raising blood pressure.
- Smoking also increases the risk of blood clots. A stroke occurs if such a clot blocks the flow of blood to part of your brain or if a blood vessel in or around your brain bursts. Such clots can also reduce blood flow to your legs and skin.
Smoking causes about 90% (or 9 out of 10) of all deaths from lung cancer. To date, smoking has been linked to cancer in almost any part of your body, including:
- Bladder cancer
- Blood (acute myeloid leukemia)
- Cervix cancer
- Colon and rectum (colorectal) cancer
- Esophagus cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Larynx cancer (voice box)
- Liver cancer
- Pharynx cancer (throat)
- Pancreatic cancer
- Stomach cancer
- Trachea, bronchus, and lung cancer
Smoking also increases the risk of dying from cancer and other diseases in cancer survivors who quit smoking.
Smoking and other health risks. Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and affects a person’s overall health.
Smoking can make it harder for a woman to become pregnant. It can also affect her baby’s health before and after birth. Smoking increases the risks of:
- Preterm (early) delivery
- Stillbirth (death of the baby before birth)
- Low birth weight
- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Orofacial clefts in the baby
- Preterm birth
- Poor pregnancy outcomes
Fertility in men. Smoking can also affect a man’s sperm, which can reduce fertility and increase risks for birth defects and miscarriage.
Bones. Smoking can make your bones weak and brittle, which can lead to osteoporosis.
Joints. Smoking is a cause of rheumatoid arthritis.
Teeth and gums. Smoking can cause tooth staining, gum disease, tooth loss, and in more severe cases, mouth cancer. Smokers have yellow teeth.
Vision. Smoking increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. AMD is damage to a small spot near the center of the retina, the part of the eye needed for central vision.
Diabetes. Smoking causes type 2 diabetes. Smokers are 30–40% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than non-smokers.
Immune system. Smoking harms the immune system and can make the body less successful at fighting off infections.
Quitting smoking reduces risks.
- Quitting smoking lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Just one year after quitting smoking, the risk of a heart attack significantly drops.
- Within 2 to 5 years after quitting smoking, your risk of a stroke can decrease to nearly the same level as non-smokers.
- If you quit smoking, the risk of oral, throat, esophagus, and bladder cancer can be cut in half within 5 years.
- Ten years after quitting smoking, the risk of lung cancer death is halved.
The less you smoke and the earlier you quit, the better it is for you and your loved ones. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of premature death in both men and women, regardless.