Eye-opening information regarding tobacco use and cancer.
Research shows that 87 percent of lung cancer deaths are caused by tobacco smoke (cigarettes, pipes, cigars). In addition, smoking and smokeless tobacco can be responsible for most cancers of the oral cavity area, including the larynx, pharynx, esophagus, as well as the bladder.
Additional statistics about smoking and cancer include:
- In the U.S., lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women.
- Smoking is responsible for 90 percent of the lung cancer deaths for men and 80 percent of the deaths for women.
- People who smoke are up to six times more likely to suffer a heart attack than nonsmokers, and the risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked.
- Tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemical agents, including over 60 substances that are known to cause cancer.
- The risk of developing smoking-related cancers, as well as noncancerous diseases, increases with total lifetime exposure to cigarette smoke.
- Stopping smoking has major and immediate health benefits, including decreasing the risk of lung and other cancers, heart attack, stroke, and chronic lung disease.
- Cigarette smoking and tobacco use are the most preventable causes of death in the United States.
- Smoking alone is directly responsible for approximately 30 percent of all cancer deaths annually in the United States
- Smoking during pregnancy can cause stillbirth, low birth weight, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and other serious pregnancy complications.
- Smokeless tobacco, such as chewing tobacco, can also put you at risk for oral cancers