The harmful effects of smoking

華州華人防癌互助協會 Washington State Chinese Cancer Network Association, P.O. Box 15425, Seattle, WA 98115. Phone (206) 850-5914

Most people know that smoking is bad for your health, but how bad is it? You might not know the details. Let us look at three ways in which smoking hurts people:

	Physical harm caused by smoking
	Harm caused by second-hand smoke
	Smoking related deaths

Physical harm caused by smoking

For all adults

	stroke and chronic headaches
	blurry vision, cataracts
	ear infections
	wrinkled skin
	foul breath, yellow teeth, gingivitis
	emphysema, bronchitis
	chronic cough, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD)
	heart diseases, high blood pressure
	psoriasis
	cold hands and feet
	impotence, decreased sperm count

For females in particular

	tend to age faster and look older
	decreased ability to get pregnant and have babies
	increased risk of miscarriage
	increased risk of preterm deliveries, low birth weights
	delivery of babies that suffer from Sudden Infant death syndrome (SIDS)

For babies

	Pre-matured births
	Inner ear infection
	Allergic rhinitis
	Bronchitis, pneumonia
	Allergic cough
	Allergic dermatitis

Cancers caused by smoking

	Brain cancer, cancer of the nose
	Cancer of the mouth and tongue
	Cancer of the pharynx, larynx, and esophagus
	Lung cancer
	Breast cancer
	Stomach cancer, intestinal cancer
	Pancreatic cancer, Liver cancer
	Cancer of the kidney and bladder
	Prostate cancer
	Colon cancer
	Uterine cancer, ovarian cancer

Harm caused by second-hand smoke

What is second-hand smoke?

Second-hand smoke is the smoke breathed out by a smoker and the smoke from the tip of a burning cigarette, cigar, or pipe. It contains more than 4000 chemicals of which 200 are poisonous and over 60 are known to cause cancer.

What are health effects of second-hand smoke?

Second-hand smoke causes approximately 53,000 deaths each year in non-smokers. Three thousand of these deaths are due to lung cancer. Another 35,000 non-smokers die from heart disease due to the exposure to second-hand smoke.

How Does Second-hand Smoke Affect Your Children and Grandchildren?

Second-hand smoke is especially harmful to young children. At a time when their lungs are still developing, exposure to second-hand smoke results in decreased lung function. Children who breathe second-hand smoke are more likely to suffer from pneumonia, bronchitis, coughing, wheezing, increased mucous production, runny noses, and ear infections. They are also more likely to develop asthma. In children with asthma, breathing second-hand smoke causes more frequent asthmatic attacks. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that second-hand smoke is responsible for between 150,000 and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children under 18 months of age each year, resulting in between 7,500 and 15,000 hospitalizations each year.

The California EPA estimates that 1,900 to 2,700 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) deaths per year are associated with exposure to second-hand smoke.

How do I protect my family from second-hand smoke?

If you are currently smoking, never smoke around children! Don’t smoke in your house or in the car because the smoke lingers even after you have put the cigarette out. Ask family members and other visitors to not smoke in your house. Ask them to go outside when they smoke because the smoke can make your children ill. Make sure your child/grandchild’s day care and school environments are smoke free as well. Eat in smoke free restaurants or in non-smoking sections.

Smoking-related deaths

	Over 400,000 people die every year in the U.S. due to cigarette smoking.
	Second-hand smoke causes approximately 53,000 deaths each year in non-smokers.
	At least 3000 deaths each year are from lung cancer in individuals who do not smoke.
	Another 35,000 non-smokers die each year from heart disease due to the exposure to second-hand smoke.
	About 1,900 to 2,700 infants die each year from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) that is associated with second-hand smoke exposure, according to the California EPA’s estimation.

This site was last updated 06/01/07