Smoking Statistics & Health Risks: Facts You Need to Know

Approximately one out of five deaths every year directly relates to smoking which is the main preventable cause of all deaths in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The facts on the effects of smoking are alarming as smoking causes many serious lifelong diseases and conditions.

Women and Smoking

• Women who smoke have an increased risk of infertility, stillbirth, sudden infant death syndrome, premature birth and low birth weight. Smoking in premenopausal women causes lower bone density than in nonsmoking women, according to the CDC.

Men and Smoking

• Men who smoke are approximately 10 times more likely to die from emphysema or bronchitis and approximately 22 times more likely to die from lung cancer. The risk of dying from heart disease triples among middle-aged men, the CDC reports.

Secondhand Smoke

• Secondhand smoke is harmful as there is no level of tobacco exposure that is risk free. In children, secondhand smokes causes asthma attacks, sudden infant death syndrome and respiratory infections. In adults, secondhand smoke causes lung cancer and heart disease.