Tobacco Facts and Statistics

Tobacco is the second biggest cause of deaths world wide. Tobacco already accounts for 5 million deaths world wide each year, and with the same smoking pattern continuing, will be the cause of a 10 million human death per year. If these numbers are not frightening enough, just know that death caused by tobacco consumtion is more in number than all deaths from HIV, narcotic usage, alcohol consumption, motor injuries, suicides and murders combined.Tobacco cigarettes, when burned, releases more than 4000+ harmful toxins, of which more than 50 are identified to be cancer causing carcinogens. To know more about the harmful substances found in tobacco cigarettes, check: Harmful Substances found in Tobacco Cigarettes.

Deaths caused by smoking:

  • 90% of all lung cancer deaths among men
  • 80% of all lung cancer deaths among women
  • 90% of deaths from chronic obstructive lung disease

Increase of Diseases and Health Risks

  • Men who smoke tobacco are 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer
  • Women who smoke tobacco are about 13 times more likely to develop a lung cancer
  • Dying from chronic obstructive lung diseases increases by 12 to 13 times
  • Smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease by 2 to 4 times, Stroke by 2 to 4 times
  • Tobacco also causes ephysema, bronchitis, chronic airway obstruction.

Cancers Caused by Smoking Tobacco

Tobacco smoke damages important genes within the human body, causing the cells to grow abnormally. Although the first cancer that comes to mind when talking about tobacco is lung cancer, the other cancers that threatens a tobacco consumer's life are:

  • acute myeloid leukemia
  • kidney cancer
  • cancer of the pancreas
  • bladder cancer
  • cancer of the larynx (voice box)
  • cancer of the pharynx (throat)
  • cancer of the cervix
  • lung cancer
  • stomach cancer
  • cancer of the esophagus
  • cancer of the oral cavity (mouth)
  • cancer of the uterus

Other Health Effects

  • Infertility
  • Preterm delivery
  • Stillbirth
  • Low birth weight
  • Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

Quit Now, Or Switch

Health risks attributed to tobacco smoking generally increases with the number of cigarettes smoked and the number of years of smoking. But the good thing is, the risk starts decreasing after quitting.

In 2003 alone, approximately 172 thousand new cases of lungs cancer were recorded, and approximately 157 thousand people died from lung cancer. Most of them were tobacco smokers.

Tobacco is attributed to be the fourth most common risk factor for diseases worldwide. A report in 1994 estimated that the use of tobacco anually accounts for a net loss of $200 thousand million worldwide.

Can't Quit? Then Switch

Electric cigarettes or electronic cigarettes contain only nicotine, and do not contain the other 4000+ toxins that are available in tobacco cigarettes. Although nicotine is still harmful provided that it is extremely addictive, you can at least get youself a lot of relief since all it contains is nicotine, not the tar, carbon monoxide or the other cancer causing carcinogens. Quitting is recommended for the best, but again, we all know that quitting is not as easy as it sounds. I could not quit, but I switched - to E-cigarettes. I am happy as I am still smoking, but rejecting the harmful toxins which I had to inhale during smoking tobacco. (Check: Electronic / Electric Cigarette Benefits Over Tobacco Cigarettes) Electronic cigarettes have developed to be very good substitutes to former tobacco cigarettes, and the best brands (Green Smoke, Premium Cigarettes, Luci and a few others) taste as good (or sometimes, even better) than tobacco cigarettes. So why don't you switch? Give yourself, and the close ones around you some relief.