What are 10 facts about smoking?

Here are 10 crucial facts about smoking and its detrimental effects on health and the environment:

1. Smoking is a leading cause of preventable death: Smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States alone, making it a leading cause of preventable death and disease. This equates to nearly one in five deaths annually.

2. Smoking causes cancer: Cigarette smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, at least 69 of which are known carcinogens (cancer-causing agents). Smoking is a major cause of cancers of the lung, larynx, mouth, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, and cervix.

3. Smoking damages your lungs: Smoking damages the airways and alveoli in the lungs, leading to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. These conditions make it difficult to breathe.

4. Smoking harms your heart: Smoking damages blood vessels and increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. Nicotine raises blood pressure and heart rate, putting extra strain on the cardiovascular system.

5. Smoking affects reproductive health: In women, smoking can cause fertility problems, complications during pregnancy, and premature birth. In men, smoking can cause erectile dysfunction.

6. Secondhand smoke is dangerous: Exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk of heart disease, lung cancer, and other respiratory problems in nonsmokers, especially children.

7. Nicotine is highly addictive: Nicotine, a chemical in tobacco, is highly addictive and makes it difficult for smokers to quit. Addiction can lead to withdrawal symptoms when someone tries to stop smoking.

8. Smoking is costly: Beyond the health consequences, smoking is an expensive habit. The cost of cigarettes, healthcare expenses related to smoking-related illnesses, and lost productivity add up significantly over a lifetime.

9. Smoking harms the environment: Cigarette butts are a major source of pollution. About 1.69 billion pounds of cigarette butts end up as toxic trash each year, making cigarettes the most littered item on Earth. These butts contain chemicals that can leach into the environment.

10. Quitting smoking has immediate benefits: Regardless of how long someone has smoked, quitting has immediate and long-term health benefits. Within minutes of quitting, heart rate and blood pressure begin to normalize. Over time, the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other smoking-related illnesses decreases substantially.