The Dangers Of Cigarette Smoking
There are few things that doctors generally agree upon, but the dangers of
cigarette smoking are one of them. Ironically, the more we learn about smoking,
the more dangers we learn it has, yet teenage girls are still increasingly starting
the habit. In 2001, more than 351,500 American children under age 18 started
smoking; of these, more than 112,000 will eventually die from a smoking related
illness. Seem surprising? Tobacco use is directly responsible for more
than 25 causes of death and is a risk factor for numerous others. Estimates
are that 4 million people will die of tobacco-related illnesses worldwide this
year; by the 2020's, the death toll will increase to 10 million deaths per year.
In the US, cigarette smoking accounts for approximately 300,000 to 430,000 deaths.
. .more than 10 times as many as die from breast cancer).
Numerous studies have shown that women are more negatively affected by smoking
than men. While smoking overall has decreased more than 40% since 1965, lung
cancer deaths among women have increased 150% between 1974-1994 compared to
only a 20% increase in men. Half of all heart related causes of death in women
younger than 65 are due to cigarette smoking. Many women who smoke are surprised
to find out that lung cancer surpasses breast cancer as the leading cancer killer
of women. In fact, one out of 3 cancer deaths are related to smoking.
But tobacco use does not just cause lung cancer: it is linked to cancers
of the mouth and throat, esophagus, pancreas, bladder, breast and cervix.
Not all consequences of smoking in women are fatal, but they are potentially
serious. For example, women who smoke are 4 times as likely to have serious
side effects from birth control pills. Women who smoke are twice as likely
to lose their vision, even after they quit.
Parental smoking is one of the strongest risk factors for children and teens
beginning to smoke. Maternal smoking influences their children even in
utero: women who smoke during pregnancy have babies that weigh, on average,
7 ounces less than babies of nonsmoking mothers. These babies show nicotine
levels in their blood equal to adult levels. . .and they go through nicotine
withdrawal in their first days of life.
Mothers who smoke have children with significantly higher rates of ear infections,
even when the mothers report that they "never" smoke in front of the child.
In addition, SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) occurs more often in babies
of smoking moms.
Created: 9/30/2003  - Donnica Moore, M.D.