Public Health Information Blog

Health Effects
Information On Diseases Caused By Tobacco Use, such as cancer, heart disease, and respiratory diseases. Also find information on the health effects of smoking during pregnancy.

Cancer
• The risk of dying from lung cancer is more than 22 times higher among men who smoke cigarettes and about 12 times higher among women who smoke cigarettes compared with never smokers.
• Cigarette smoking increases the risk for many types of cancer, including cancers of the lip, oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, pancreas, larynx (voice box), lung, uterine cervix, urinary bladder, and kidney.
• Rates of cancers related to cigarette smoking vary widely among members of racial/ethnic groups but are highest among African-American men.

Heart Disease and Stroke
• Smoking causes coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. Cigarette smokers are 2–4 times more likely to develop coronary heart disease than nonsmokers.
• Cigarette smoking approximately doubles a person's risk for stroke.
• Cigarette smoking causes reduced circulation by narrowing the blood vessels (arteries). Smokers are more than 10 times as likely as nonsmokers to develop peripheral vascular disease.
• Smoking causes abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Secondhand Smoke
Find information on secondhand smoke exposure, health effects, and smoke-free initiatives and resources. HERE !
Respiratory Health
• Cigarette smoking is associated with a tenfold increase in the risk of dying from chronic obstructive lung disease.
• About 90% of all deaths from chronic obstructive lung diseases are attributable to cigarette smoking.

Smoking During Pregnancy
Research has shown that smoking during pregnancy causes health problems for both mothers and babies, such as
• Pregnancy complications
• Premature birth
• Low-birth-weight infants
• Stillbirth
• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)