By now, most people are well aware that smoking causes lung cancer. Cigarettes, pipes, cigars, and chewing tobacco kill more than 434,000 Americans each year accounting for one out of five premature deaths in this country. Lung cancer is just
first in a long list of tobacco related illnesses:Bladder Cancer - Smoking causes 40% of all cases of bladder cancer.
Breast Cancer - Women who smoke are 75% more likely to develop breast cancer.
Cervical Cancer - Up to one third of all cases of cervical cancer are directly attributable to smoking.
Childhood Respiratory Ailments - Children exposed to parents tobacco smoke have six times as many respiratory infections as kids of nonsmoking parents.
Diabetes - Smoking decreases body's absorption of insulin.
Emphysema - Smoking accounts for up to 85% of all deaths attributable to emphysema.
Esophageal Cancer - Smoking accounts for 80% of all cases of esophageal cancer.
Gastrointestinal Cancer - Smoking at least doubles risk of cancer of stomach and duodenum.
Heart Disease - Smokers are up to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than nonsmokers.
